Allergic rhinitis in the etiology of obstructive sleep apnea

Abstract

Aim: In this study, it was aimed to determine the prevalence of allergic rhinitis in patients with obstructive sleep apnea syndrome and to investigate the effect of allergic rhinitis on the severity of obstructive sleep apnea (OSA). Material and Methods: In our study, patients who applied to our outpatient clinic with complaints of snoring and excessive daytime sleepiness and underwent polysomnography (PSG) and skin prick test (SPT) between 2014-2017 were retrospectively evaluated. The relationship between OSA and allergic rhinitis was evaluated. Results: The study included 519 cases, 162 females (31,2%) and 357 males (68,8%), with a mean age of 49,26 ± 12,21 (19–85), who were diagnosed with simple snoring and OSA. The prevalence of allergic rhinitis among the OSA groups was 20.8%. Statistically, significant correlation was found when the OSA groups were compared according to age, body mass index and Epworth values (p<0,001, p<0,001, p=0,004, respectively). When the distribution of allergens was examined according to the prick test results performed on the patients, while most common sensitivity was detected to house dust mites (42%), and the second most common sensitivity was detected to grass pollen (39%) in atopic patients, sensitivity to fungal spores and animal hair/epithelium was detected less commonly (9,5%). Discussion: As a result of our study, we think that allergic rhinitis may contribute to the development of snoring and OSA, and therefore, allergy treatment may improve the clinical picture of snoring and OSA.