Allergic rhinitis among adult bronchial asthmatic patients in lagos, Nigeria.

BACKGROUND

Allergic rhinitis (AR) and asthma are different manifestations of allergic disease of the airway. Both can exist together or as separate disease entity in an individual. However, it is not known if the coexistence of the two diseases can make asthmatic control difficult or not in the black population.

OBJECTIVE

To determine the prevalence of allergic rhinitis in asthmatics and its effects on bronchial asthmatic control among adult Nigerians..

DESIGN

A prospective case-control study.

SETTING

Lagos University Teaching Hospital, Lagos, Nigeria.

SUBJECTS: Cases were 160 adult patients with confirmed bronchial asthma and controls were 160 subjects without bronchial asthma.

METHODS

Structured questionnaire adapted from the European Community Respiratory Health Survey was applied. Allergic rhinitis was clinically diagnosed if watery rhinorrhea, nasal blockage, and excessive bout of sneezing, itching of eye, ear, nose or throat were present.

RESULTS

Amongst the asthmatics, 133 (83%) had concomitant allergic rhinitis while 30 (19%) controls had allergic rhinitis(x(2)=137.81, p<0.001). Seventy eight (59%) cases with allergic rhinitis had uncontrolled asthma while 9 (33%) cases without allergic rhinitis had uncontrolled asthma (x(2) = 8.8731, p=0.012).

CONCLUSION

The prevalence of allergic rhinitis among adult asthmatics was high and the co-existence of allergic rhinitis was significantly associated with poor asthmatic control.