Vasomotor rhinitis: impact on quality of life in young patients

Symptoms of chronic rhinitis significantly reduce quality of life and ability to work in patients. Inability of full nasal breathing disrupts sleeping and daytime activity and can lead to snoring and obstructive sleep apnea as well as acute and chronic diseases of other ENT organs. One of the disease progression aspects is the suppression of respiratory epithelium cilia of the nasal cavity and impaired mucociliary clearance (MCC) both as a result of chronic nasal obstruction and the ciliostatic effect of topical decongestants which patients often use unsupervised for self-treatment. The aim of the study was to evaluate the impact of vasomotor rhinitis on the quality of life of young patients through a comprehensive analysis of subjective data (SNOT-22 questionnaire) in relation to objective indicators of mucociliary clearance function impaired. Materials and methods : 108 young adults (18–25 years old) were examined: 55 with a diagnosis of vasomotor rhinitis (study group) and 53 without ENT pathology (control group). All participants underwent a comprehensive examination including a quality-of-life assessment using the validated SNOT-22 questionnaire (RUS) and an objective assessment of the MCC- functional state using the timed saccharin test. Results : the quality of life in young patients with vasomotor rhinitis was reduced by 7 times (Me (LQ; UQ) = 54 (43; 64) points) compared to the control group (Me (LQ; UQ) = 8 (0; 20) points; p < 0.001) and a statistically significant violation of MCC was established: the time of the saccharin test was Me (LQ; UQ) = 23.17 (16.35; 31.17) minutes which is 2.5 times higher than the control group Me (LQ; UQ) = 9.3 (5.13; 12.79) minutes, p < 0.001. A strong direct correlation was established between subjective and objective indicators (Spearman coefficient ρ = 0.78; p < 0.001) in the study group: the disturbance of MCC more pronounced and the quality of life of the patient with vasomotor rhinitis is worse. Conclusion . The combined use of the SNOT-22 questionnaire with the saccharin test is an informative method for assessing of vasomotor rhinitis severity and can be recommended as a screening patient to early diagnosis and timely correction of identified disorders.