Control of allergic rhinitis symptoms in adults in the Russian Federation: online survey results

Abstract

Aim: subjective assessment by patients with allergic rhinitis (AR) of the efficacy in control of the main symptoms, seeking medical care for AR symptoms and general treatment methods. Patients and Methods: from April to August 2020, a study was conducted of 328 adult respondents (buyers of medicines for the AR treatment: antihistamines and/or intranasal corticosteroids), who voluntarily agreed to an online survey. 164 respondents purchased medicines based on the prescription or doctor recommendation, while other 164 chose medicines independently. Visual analog scale (VAS) was used to assess the severity of individual AR symptoms (nasal congestion, runny nose/nasal discharge, sneezing, itchy nose, cough), as well as eye and general symptoms (general malaise, drowsiness, headache). Results: 56% of respondents had persistent AR symptoms. Herewith, 60% of respondents suffered from seasonal AR, 40% — perennial AR. 52% of respondents had a mild AR form. However, the main triad of AR symptoms (nasal congestion, rhinorrhea and sneezing), despite the non-severe AR form in the absolute majority of respondents corresponded to moderate or severe severity (VAS>5) and indicated a lack of AR control. 31% of those surveyed experienced severe AR symptoms that disrupted daytime activity and sleep. The respondents were most concerned about nasal congestion, runny nose/rhinorrhea, and sneezing (the average VAS score was 7.3, 7.1, and 6.5, respectively). The frequency of visits to the doctor for AR was very low: 95% of respondents visited their doctor no more than once a year, while 48% of them — every few years. The first choice in therapy was antihistamines, regardless of the presence or absence of doctor’s recommendation. In second place were decongestants, in third — intranasal corticosteroids, which were more commonly purchased on the doctor’s recommendation. Conclusion: adult respondents with a suspected diagnosis of AR, despite uncontrolled and marked symptoms, underestimate their disease, rarely consult a doctor, and prefer to follow the recommendations of relatives and friends or pharmacists for treatment. The lack of AR control among adults in our country is obvious and requires the active participation of the medical and pharmaceutical community for salvation of such problem. KEYWORDS: allergic rhinitis, visual analog scale, control of allergic rhinitis symptoms, survey, therapy choice, severity of allergic rhinitis symptoms. FOR CITATION: Nenasheva N.M., Shilenkova V.V. Control of allergic rhinitis symptoms in adults in the Russian Federation: online survey results. Russian Medical Inquiry. 2021;5(1):25–31. DOI: 10.32364/2587-6821-2021-5-1-25-31.

The condition of the vegetative nervous system and methods of correction of its changes in patients with seasonal allergic rhinitis

“…Allergic rhinitis (AR) is a fairly common pathology of the body, in which the target organ is the nasal cavity, characterized by a symptom complex that includes swelling of the mucous membrane and nasal congestion, itching in the nasal cavity and sneezing, rhinorrhea and difficulty in nasal breathing [1][2][3][4][5][6][7][8][9][10][11][12][13][14][15] . Although AR is not life-threatening, it sharply reduces the quality of life, physical and social activity of the patient, it can turn into bronchial asthma, which affects from 20 to 60% of the population [9,13,14].…”

Combine therapy as a modern approach to treatment of allergic rhinitis

“…Показано, что значительная часть пациентов (63-76%) имеют среднетяжелое и тяжелое течение АР [6][7][8][9], в связи с чем вынуждены использовать несколько лекарственных средств для его лечения.…”

A New Vision for Treatment of Adult Patients with Year-Round Allergic Rhinitis

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