Abstract

OBJECTIVE: This study aims to evaluate the quality of life in patients diagnosed with allergic rhinitis (AR) and non-allergic rhinitis (NAR) using the Pediatric Rhinoconjunctivitis Quality of Life Questionnaire (PRQLQ) and to determine the effects these diseases on quality of life.

METHODS: The prospective study was performed on 90 pediatric patients (54 males, 36 females; mean age 10.0±2.5 years; range 6 to 15 years) between March 2019 and April 2020. Patients were examined in three groups. Control group consisted of 22 children who had no symptoms of chronic rhinitis but had negative skin prick test (SPT). In the NAR group, there were 17 children with a history of symptoms of chronic rhinitis who had negative SPT and had no signs of infective rhinitis. AR group comprised 51 children with a history of symptoms of chronic rhinitis who had positive SPT and no signs of infective rhinitis. All patients were performed the Total Nasal Symptom Score (TNSS) and the PRQLQ to investigate whether there was a difference between groups in terms of these parameters.

RESULTS: Symptom scores such as nasal itching and sneezing and TNSS were statistically significantly higher in AR group compared to NAR group (p=0.003, p=0.001 and p=0.003, respectively). No significant difference was detected between the two groups regarding nasal discharge and congestion symptoms (p=0.472 and p=0.743, respectively). While there was no statistically significant difference in total quality of life scores and subgroup scores in AR and NAR groups, all four parameters were statistically significantly lower when total quality of life score and subgroup scores in the control group were compared separately according to the other two groups (p<0.001).

CONCLUSION: In our study, although complaints of sneezing and nasal itching were prominent in AR, complaints of nasal discharge and congestion were observed at the same rate as in NAR. However, NAR negatively affected quality of life as much as AR.