The link between chronic rhinosinusitis and asthma: A questionnaire-based study

Abstract

Treatments for chronic rhinosinusitis (CRS) and asthma can affect both conditions, based on the united airway concept. This study aimed to evaluate the link between CRS and asthma, based on disease-specific quality of life measures. We performed a prospective cohort study to investigate the correlations between results from CRS- and asthma-specific questionnaires. Thirty-two patients with asthma and CRS were evaluated before and after undergoing nasal surgery at a tertiary medical center. There were significant correlations between the results from the Asthma Control Test (ACT) and the Sino-Nasal Outcome Test-22, as well as between the results of the ACT and Rhinoconjunctivitis Quality of Life Questionnaire, at both the preoperative and 3-month postoperative evaluations (P < 0.01). Moreover, nasal surgery improved the sinonasal symptoms, asthma control, and pulmonary function (P < 0.01). Increasingly severe sinonasal symptoms of CRS were associated with poor asthma control. Therefore, CRS and asthma should be considered and treated as common airway diseases.