title: Occurrence of sleep-related breathing disorders in patients with chronic urticaria at its asymptomatic or oligosymptomatic stages.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Chronic urticaria (CU), in view of its manifestations (pruritus, wheals), chronic and recurrent nature is very bothersome for patients and significantly influences their quality of life.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To assess the importance of sleep problems and sleep-related breathing disorders (SRBDs) declared by CU patients, for their quality of life.
  
  
  METHODS
  Twenty-eight patients with CU at an asymptomatic stage or with minimal symptoms and signs were qualified for the study. In these patients, assessment of urticaria severity, QoL and SRBDs incidence was carried out.
  
  
  RESULTS
  In a questionnaire study (CU-Q2oL), about 54% of the patients with CU complained of sleeping problems, about 80% reported significant fatigue and lack of concentration in the daytime. Respiratory polygraphy, an objective measure of sleep-related breathing disorders (SRBDs) demonstrated their higher incidence in patients with CU than in the general population, but these disorders were mild and had no influence on the reduced quality of life of the study patients, compared with a group of patients without SRBDs.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The occurrence of SRBDs was found in 25% of patients with CU at asymptomatic or oligosymptomatic stages. The SRBDs in those patients were mild, required no treatment and their occurrence did not cause any significant reduction in their quality of life.
authors.affiliation: Department of Infectious Diseases and Allergology, Military Institute of Medicine, Warsaw, Poland.
authors.forename: Jolanta
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Perkowska
authors.affiliation: Department of Infectious Diseases and Allergology, Military Institute of Medicine, Warsaw, Poland.
authors.forename: Jerzy
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Kruszewski
authors.affiliation: Non-invasive Cardiology and Telemedicine Ward, Military Institute of Medicine, Warsaw, Poland.
authors.forename: Piotr
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Gutkowski
authors.affiliation: Military Institute of Medicine, Warsaw, Poland.
authors.forename: Andrzej
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Chciałowski
authors.affiliation: Department of Infectious Diseases and Allergology, Military Institute of Medicine, Warsaw, Poland.
authors.forename: Krzysztof
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Kłos
keywords: CU-Q2oL; chronic urticaria; quality of life; respiratory polygraphy; sleep-related breathing disorders