Rhinitis nasal symptoms are more pronounced in people exposed to higher levels of outdoor air pollution..

This conclusion was reached by the authors of a study published in the Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology, led by a team of scientists from the Barcelona Institute for Global Health (ISGlobal), a research institute supported by La Caixa.

Rhinitis is a condition that affects 20 to 50% of the world's population, is a disorder of the nasal mucosa, characterized by stagnation, sneezing, rhinorrhea, irritation of the nose and, in some cases, reduced sense of smell. Despite the high prevalence of rhinitis, little is known about the risk factors that include air pollution.

ISGlobal researcher Benedict Jacquemin, who led the study, explains the logic behind it: “Rhinitis is associated with asthma, which is closely related to air pollution.. That is why we thought it would be interesting to find out whether the long-term effects of polluted air on human health, as well as on his nose. "

The study analyzed data from 1,408 rhinitis patients from 17 different European cities, including Barcelona and Oviedo (Spain), Paris (France), Antwerp (Belgium), Umea (Sweden) and Erfurt (Germany). Participants answered a questionnaire regarding the severity of each of the symptoms of rhinitis and the degree to which this condition affects their daily lives.. Data on the levels of air pollution that each participant was exposed to were obtained from the European Cohort Study on Air Pollution Effects (ESCAPE), a project in which ISGlobal also participated.

Particles in the air: the most harmful.

Particles in air, the diameter of which can vary from micrometers to millimeters, are solids or liquids present in air. Particles with a diameter of less than 2.5 (PM2.5) and less than ten micrometers (PM10) are of particular interest in this context..

The study shows that people living in cities with higher levels of PM10 and PM2.5 report the most serious symptoms of rhinitis.. An increase in PM2.5 by 5 ?g / m 3 was associated with a 17% greater likelihood of severe rhinitis. These particles were associated with increased nasal congestion, nasal irritation and sneezing, while exposure to NO 2 increased nasal discharge and nasal congestion..

Particulate matter and NO 2 in the air are traffic-related pollutants. “The role of these contaminants in the severity of symptoms is probably related to oxidative stress, apoptosis (the process by which irreparably damaged cells are removed) and inflammation,” explains Emily Burt, lead author of the study.. “Our results indicate that exposure to particulate matter suspended in air differs from exposure to gaseous emissions (NO 2), possibly because their respective mechanisms of action provoke various inflammatory reactions in the airways; however, more research is needed to confirm this hypothesis. ”.

“This study contributes to our understanding of rhinitis, a disease that, although not fatal, is a serious public health problem and is associated with a negative impact on the quality of life of victims and a very heavy burden on public funds due to prescribed treatment methods and reduced productivity.

med-heal. ru.