title: Prevalence of nasal symptoms and their relation to self-reported asthma and chronic bronchitis/emphysema.
abstract: Little information is available on associations between rhinitis and chronic bronchitis/emphysema (CBE). Self-reported upper airway symptoms, asthma, and CBE were examined in 12,079 adults living in southern Sweden. The response rate was 70% (n=8,469), of whom 33% reported significant nasal symptoms: a blocked nose was reported by 21%; sneezing by 18%; nasal discharge by 17%; and thick yellow nasal discharge by 5.7%. Nasal symptoms and combined nasal and self-reported bronchial disease were generally more common among smokers than nonsmokers. There was little overlap between asthma and CBE, but 46% of those with asthma and 40% of those with CBE had significant nasal symptoms. Best predicting factors (odds ratios >3) for asthma and CBE were nasal symptoms due to exposure to animals and damp/cold air, respectively. One-third of an adult, southern Swedish population, had significant allergic and/or nonallergic nasal symptoms. Nasal symptoms were frequently found to coexist with both asthma and chronic bronchitis/emphysema, suggesting that pan-airway engagement is common in both diseases. Differing associations between types of nasal symptoms and allergic and irritant triggers of nasal symptoms, with regard to asthma and chronic bronchitis/emphysema, emphasize the different natures of these bronchial diseases.
authors.affiliation: Dept of Community Health Sciences, Umeå University, Sweden.
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Montnémery
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Svensson
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Adelroth
authors.forename: C G
authors.initials: CG
authors.lastname: Löfdahl
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Andersson
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Greiff
authors.forename: C G
authors.initials: CG
authors.lastname: Persson
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001249:Asthma / Q000150:complications*; D001991:Bronchitis / Q000150:complications*; D002908:Chronic Disease; D004646:Emphysema / Q000150:complications*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009297:Nasal Mucosa / Q000378:metabolism; D015508:Nasal Obstruction / Q000209:etiology; D012221:Rhinitis, Allergic, Perennial / Q000150:complications*; D006255:Rhinitis, Allergic, Seasonal / Q000150:complications*; D012907:Smoking / Q000009:adverse effects; D012912:Sneezing; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires