Sexual dysfunction in patients with allergic rhinoconjunctivitis.
BACKGROUND
Sexual dysfunction in chronic diseases has recently attracted attention owing to its impact on quality of life (QoL). Allergic rhinoconjunctivitis (ARC) affects QoL, causing limitations in many areas. However, there has not been research on changes in sexual function in patients with ARC.


OBJECTIVE
To report the effect of ARC and its treatment on sexual function in men and women.


METHODS
Forty-three sexually active patients with seasonal ARC aged 22 to 49 years were included in the study. The control group was composed of 40 healthy individuals aged 22 to 46 years. Conjunctival symptom scores (CSSs) and nasal symptom scores (NSSs) of patients with symptomatic ARC were determined, as were sexual function scores (SFSs) using the Female Sexual Function Index and the International Index of Erectile Function during allergen exposure in the pollination period and after treatment with oral desloratadine, 5 mg/d, for 30 days. The SFSs were evaluated in the control group.


RESULTS
The CSSs and NSSs significantly improved in treated ARC (P < .001). In women, Female Sexual Function Index results in symptomatic ARC were significantly lower than in treated ARC and controls (P = .003). In men, International Index of Erectile Function results in treated ARC (P = .001) and controls (P < .001) were significantly higher than in symptomatic ARC. Furthermore, correlation between improvement in CSSs and NSSs and that of SFSs was determined (P = .007 for women; P = .001 for men).


CONCLUSIONS
Improvement in sexual function as a variable of QoL may accompany the treatment of symptoms in patients with ARC.
Kirmaz
Cengiz
C
Division of Allergy and Immunology, Department of Internal Medicine, Celal Bayar University, Manisa, Turkey. ckirmaz@yahoo.com
Aydemir
Omer
O
Bayrak
Papatya
P
Yuksel
Hasan
H
Ozenturk
Ozlem
O
Degirmenci
Sedat
S
D000328:Adult; D003075:Coitus; D003233:Conjunctivitis, Allergic / Q000150:complications* / Q000188:drug therapy; D005260:Female; D039563:Histamine H1 Antagonists, Non-Sedating / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D006801:Humans; D007989:Libido; D017336:Loratadine / Q000031:analogs & derivatives* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009948:Orgasm; D010410:Penile Erection; D011788:Quality of Life; D006255:Rhinitis, Allergic, Seasonal / Q000150:complications* / Q000188:drug therapy; D012735:Sexual Dysfunction, Physiological / Q000175:diagnosis*; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D016896:Treatment Outcome
D039563:Histamine H1 Antagonists, Non-Sedating; D017336:Loratadine; C121345:desloratadine