title: Allergic rhinitis and secondhand tobacco smoke: a population-based study.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Allergic rhinitis (AR) is a common disease that affects approximately one-fifth of the U.S. population. Few studies have evaluated the association between secondhand tobacco smoke (SHS) exposure and the impacts on symptom severity in AR. In this study, we evaluated the association of SHS and AR in a community-based study of adult nonsmokers.
  
  
  METHODS
  In Washington County, Maryland, 83 subjects with AR (physician diagnosed or reported skin test positive), and 117 nonallergic subjects from the same community were recruited and interviewed. A validated questionnaire was used to assess past and present SHS exposure as well as disease-specific quality of life.
  
  
  RESULTS
  SHS was reported in 34/83 allergic subjects. Compared with AR subjects with no SHS exposure, subjects with AR and SHS were more likely to report a family history of chronic sinusitis (p = 0.04) and use nasal decongestants (p = 0.012). There was also a borderline association with reporting more severe nasal obstruction (p = 0.14) and nasal drainage (p = 0.08). Compared with nonallergic subjects, allergic subjects were more likely to report longer SHS exposure currently (adjusted mean difference = 1.6 hours/week; p = 0.01) and 20 years ago (adjusted mean difference = 2.9 hours/week; p = 0.03).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Past and current SHS may be a risk factor for AR. Allergic subjects with SHS exposure were more likely to use nasal decongestants and to report more severe nasal symptoms such as nasal obstruction and nasal drainage than nonexposed allergic subjects.
authors.affiliation: Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Johns Hopkins Sinus Center, Johns Hopkins Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland 21287, USA. slin30@jhmi.edu
authors.forename: Sandra Y
authors.initials: SY
authors.lastname: Lin
authors.forename: Douglas D
authors.initials: DD
authors.lastname: Reh
authors.forename: Sandra
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Clipp
authors.forename: Laili
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Irani
authors.forename: Ana
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Navas-Acien
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D055812:Community-Based Participatory Research; D018450:Disease Progression; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008396:Maryland; D008875:Middle Aged; D015508:Nasal Obstruction; D011788:Quality of Life; D006255:Rhinitis, Allergic, Seasonal / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000503:physiopathology; D012307:Risk Factors; D012852:Sinusitis; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014028:Tobacco Smoke Pollution
chemical_list: D014028:Tobacco Smoke Pollution