title: Nasal septal deviation with obstructive symptoms: Association found with asthma but not with other general health problems.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Nasal septal deviation (NSD) is a very common deformity. Because it may induce chronic upper airway obstruction in the nose, clinicians encounter some patients who have concerns about whether this can be a risk factor for general health. However, the influence of NSD on general health has rarely been studied.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To determine associations between NSD, especially NSD with nasal obstructive symptom, and general health problems in an adult Korean population.
  
  
  METHODS
  This nationwide study analyzed data from the Korea National Health and Nutritional Examination Survey, 2008-2009. NSD was evaluated by using a nasal endoscope, and a nasal obstructive symptom was assessed via individual interviews. The survey also investigated general health problems, such as medical comorbidity, mental health status, and quality of life. Medical conditions included neurocardiovascular, respiratory, metabolic, musculoskeletal, gastrointestinal, and malignant diseases. To eliminate the effect of combined nasal problems in otorhinolaryngology, subjects with rhinosinusitis and allergic rhinitis were excluded. This study focused on obstructive NSD, which is defined as an anatomic NSD with a chronic nasal obstructive symptom.
  
  
  RESULTS
  We enrolled 8865 participants, and the prevalence of NSD was 44.8%. No general health problems showed a significant association with NSD. However, the prevalence of NSD with an obstructive symptom was 2.1%. Obstructive NSD had no association with all the general health problems, except asthma. A significant association was found between obstructive NSD and asthma (odds ratio 2.648 [95% confidence interval, 1.211-5.791]).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Among various general health problems, our study found that NSD was associated with asthma only when NSD was accompanied by a chronic nasal obstructive symptom.
authors.affiliation: Department of Otorhinolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, CHA Bundang Medical Center, CHA University, Gyeonggi-do, South Korea.
authors.forename: Jae-Cheul
authors.initials: JC
authors.lastname: Ahn
authors.forename: Woo Hyun
authors.initials: WH
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: Jaewoon
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: We
authors.forename: Chae-Seo
authors.initials: CS
authors.lastname: Rhee
authors.forename: ChulHee
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: Jeong-Whun
authors.initials: JW
authors.lastname: Kim
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001249:Asthma / Q000453:epidemiology*; D002908:Chronic Disease; D015897:Comorbidity; D004724:Endoscopy; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008603:Mental Health / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D015508:Nasal Obstruction / Q000453:epidemiology*; D009300:Nasal Septum / Q000002:abnormalities*; D015995:Prevalence; D011788:Quality of Life; D056910:Republic of Korea / Q000453:epidemiology; D012737:Sex Factors