Open AccessAllergy rhinitis: similarities and differences between children and adults
Author(s) -
A Izquierdo-Domínguez,
I. Jauregui,
A del Cuvillo,
J. Montoro,
I. Davila,
J. Sastre,
J. Bartra,
M. Ferrer,
I. Alobid,
Joaquim Mullol,
A.L. Valero
Publication year - 2017
Publication title -
rhinology (amsterdam. online)/rhinology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.275
H-Index - 57
eISSN - 1996-8604
pISSN - 0300-0729
DOI - 10.4193/rhino17.074
Subject(s) - medicine , atopic dermatitis , asthma , pediatrics , observational study , visual analogue scale , cross sectional study , young adult , allergy , severity of illness , physical therapy , dermatology , immunology , pathology
Background: Allergic rhinitis (AR) is a highly prevalent disease worldwide. Although a number of studies have described AR, no studies compared children and adult AR populations. The objective was to compare the AR characteristics between two AR cohorts of children and adults. Methods: Two AR cohorts (children and adults) from Spain were studied through observational cross-sectional multicentre studies. AR was classified based on classical (allergen exposure), original (o-ARIA), and modified (m-ARIA) ARIA criteria. AR was evaluated by Total 4-Symptoms Score (T4SS), and disease severity by Visual Analogue Scale (VAS, 0-100 mm). AR comorbidities were also evaluated. Results: A total of 5,405 patients (1,275 children, 4,130 adults) were studied. According to symptoms duration, intermittent AR was more frequent in children than in adults. Using o-ARIA severity, more children than adults had moderate/severe AR while, using m-ARIA, more children than adults had severe AR. T4SS was higher in adults than in children. Moreover, VAS was also higher in adults than in children. In addition, asthma atopic dermatitis and conjunctivitis were more associated to children than adults with AR, the frequency of this comorbidities increasing according to higher severity. Conclusions: AR in children was more intermittent, severe, with less symptoms but with more comorbidities than in adults. These results suggest AR has similarities but also significant differences between children and adults.