title: Environmental factors that can affect sleep and breathing: allergies.
abstract: Allergic rhinitis and associated symptomatic nasal obstruction negatively affect sleep through a variety of mechanisms and may contribute to persistent symptoms and poor adherence with medical device therapy for sleep apnea. A history of sinonasal symptoms, particularly those that occur at night or in the supine position, is the cornerstone of the medical evaluation. Further research into the relationship between allergic rhinitis and sleep disturbance would benefit from improved anatomic and pathophysiologic phenotyping as well as more advanced outcome measures such as spectral electroencephalogram analysis or other polysomnography variables beyond the apnea-hypopnea index.
authors.affiliation: Department of Otolaryngology, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, UPMC, Pittsburgh, PA, USA.
authors.forename: David T
authors.initials: DT
authors.lastname: Kent
authors.affiliation: Division of Sleep Surgery, Department of Otolaryngology, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, UPMC Mercy Building B, Suite 11500, 1400 Locust Street, Pittsburgh, PA 15219, USA. Electronic address: sooserj@upmc.edu.
authors.forename: Ryan J
authors.initials: RJ
authors.lastname: Soose
mesh_terms: D015897:Comorbidity; D006801:Humans; D015508:Nasal Obstruction / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000503:physiopathology; D017286:Polysomnography; D011788:Quality of Life; D065631:Rhinitis, Allergic; D012221:Rhinitis, Allergic, Perennial / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000503:physiopathology; D012890:Sleep / Q000502:physiology*; D012891:Sleep Apnea Syndromes / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000503:physiopathology; D012893:Sleep Wake Disorders / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000503:physiopathology; D012913:Snoring / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000208:ethnology / Q000503:physiopathology
keywords: Allergic rhinitis; Environment; Nasal obstruction; Sleep; Sleep apnea; Snoring