title: Prevalence of ocular symptoms in patients with allergic rhinitis: Korean multicenter study.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Allergic rhinitis (AR) is often accompanied by multiple ocular symptoms. This study aimed to evaluate the prevalence of ocular symptoms and the impact of ocular symptoms on the quality of life in patients with AR.
  
  
  METHODS
  One thousand one hundred seventy-four patients with AR were enrolled from 24 centers in Korea. They were classified into four groups according to the Allergic Rhinitis and Its Impact on Asthma (ARIA) guideline and also classified into perennial AR (PAR) and seasonal AR groups. All patients were asked to complete the questionnaire regarding the presence of ocular symptoms, such as eye itching, watery eyes, and red eyes. The correlation between ocular symptoms and the rest of the quality-of-life areas in the Mini-Rhinoconjunctivitis Quality of Life Questionnaire (Mini-RQLQ) was also asked.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Seven hundred nineteen (61.2%) of 1174 patients had ocular symptoms. In detail, the numbers of patients with eye itching, watery eyes, red eyes, and other ocular symptoms were 605 (51.5%), 313 (26.7%), 207 (17.6%), and 66 (5.6%), respectively. Female patients (72.5%) complained of ocular symptoms more commonly than male patients (55.1%). The patients with moderate-severe persistent AR showed the highest prevalence of ocular symptoms. The correlation coefficients between ocular symptoms and the rest of the quality-of-life areas in the Mini-RQLQ were statistically significant (p < 0.05).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Sixty-one percent of Korean AR patients experienced ocular symptoms. The patients who were women and had PAR and more severe AR showed higher prevalence of ocular symptoms. The ocular symptoms might have a significant impact on the quality of life in patients with AR.
authors.affiliation: Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Chosun University Hospital, Gwangju, South Korea.
authors.forename: Ji-Eun
authors.initials: JE
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: Kyong Rae
authors.initials: KR
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: Ki-Sang
authors.initials: KS
authors.lastname: Rha
authors.forename: Hun-Jong
authors.initials: HJ
authors.lastname: Dhong
authors.forename: Hwan Jung
authors.initials: HJ
authors.lastname: Roh
authors.forename: Chae-Seo
authors.initials: CS
authors.lastname: Rhee
authors.forename: Kyung-Su
authors.initials: KS
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: Dong-Joon
authors.initials: DJ
authors.lastname: Park
authors.forename: Sung Wan
authors.initials: SW
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: Yong-Dae
authors.initials: YD
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: Sang-Chul
authors.initials: SC
authors.lastname: Lim
authors.forename: Byung-Hoon
authors.initials: BH
authors.lastname: Ahn
authors.forename: Jun Myung
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Kang
authors.forename: Jae-Hoon
authors.initials: JH
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: Chang-Hoon
authors.initials: CH
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: Soo-Hwan
authors.initials: SH
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: Hyun Jun
authors.initials: HJ
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: Kun-Hee
authors.initials: KH
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: Kyu-Sub
authors.initials: KS
authors.lastname: Cho
authors.forename: Young-Ho
authors.initials: YH
authors.lastname: Jung
authors.forename: Tae-Hoon
authors.initials: TH
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: Woo Sub
authors.initials: WS
authors.lastname: Shim
authors.forename: Eun-Joong
authors.initials: EJ
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: Ji-Sang
authors.initials: JS
authors.lastname: Park
authors.forename: Yil-Seob
authors.initials: YS
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: Dong-Young
authors.initials: DY
authors.lastname: Kim
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D018450:Disease Progression; D005128:Eye Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000503:physiopathology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007723:Korea; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015995:Prevalence; D011788:Quality of Life; D012221:Rhinitis, Allergic, Perennial / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000503:physiopathology; D006255:Rhinitis, Allergic, Seasonal / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000503:physiopathology; D012737:Sex Factors; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D055815:Young Adult