Yearly incidence of rhinitis, nasal bleeding, and other nasal symptoms in mature women.

OBJECTIVES/HYPOTHESIS: To evaluate, by a prospective questionnaire study, the incidence of spontaneous nasal pathology in mature women over a 12-month period, in particular nasal bleeding and the relationships of these symptoms with various factors.

METHODS

Participants were drawn from a sample of 12,735 adult French volunteers participating in a study of antioxidant nutrients ("SU.VI.MAX"); 3500 women aged 50-64 years were randomly selected from good responders in the SU.Vl.MAX population. The responses of 2197 women were analysed.

RESULTS

Nearly 70% of subjects reported at least one episode of rhinitis, with a mean (SD) of 1.88 (2.17) episodes per subject. Rhinitis was related to passive exposure to tobacco smoke (adjusted odds ratio [OR] 1.31, 95% CI 1.05-1.63), menopause (OR 1.47, 95% CI 1.16-1.88), and occupational exposure to vapours or dusts (OR 1.55, 95% CI 1.01-2.37). Nasal bleeding was reported as traces of blood by 16.5% of subjects, and as epistaxis (significant nasal bleeding) by 7.6%. Both symptoms were related to passive exposure to tobacco smoke (OR 1.63, 95% CI 1.22-2.19; OR 1.56, 95% CI 1.05-2.32, respectively) but not to use of systemic or topical medication.

CONCLUSION

A substantial number of mature women experience nasal symptoms during the course of a year. Rhinitis and nasal bleeding were correlated with passive exposure to tobacco smoke.