Correlation between allergic rhinitis severity and quality of life among adult patients: A hospital-based cross-sectional study.

Abstract

Background: Allergic rhinitis (AR) is among the most prevalent chronic non-communicable airway disorders worldwide and is frequently dismissed as a trivial complaint.  Objectives: To assess HRQoL in adults with AR using the standardised Rhinoconjunctivitis Quality of Life Questionnaire (RQLQ[S]), to classify disease severity and duration using the Allergic Rhinitis and its Impact on Asthma (ARIA) criteria, and to determine the correlation between AR severity and HRQoL impairment.  Methods: A hospital-based, analytical cross-sectional study was conducted in the Department of Otorhinolaryngology at a tertiary healthcare centre in Haryana over six months (October 2025 to March 2026). Two hundred consecutive adults aged 18–65 years with a clinical diagnosis of AR, supported by a positive skin prick test or ELISA allergy test, were enrolled. Severity and duration were classified using ARIA criteria; symptom burden was quantified using the Total Nasal Symptom Score (TNSS) and a 0–100 mm visual analogue scale (VAS); HRQoL was measured using the 28-item RQLQ(S) across seven domains.  Results: The mean age was 32.4±10.8 years, and 108 participants (54.0%) were women. Moderate–severe AR accounted for 136 cases (68.0%), and persistent disease accounted for 104 cases (52.0%). The mean overall RQLQ(S) score was 2.94±1.14 and rose stepwise across ARIA classes (Kruskal–Wallis p<0.001). The overall RQLQ(S) score correlated strongly with TNSS (ρ=0.71), VAS (ρ=0.68), and ARIA severity category (ρ=0.66; all p<0.001). Moderate–severe severity independently predicted a 1.28-point higher RQLQ(S) score (95% CI 1.02–1.54, p<0.001; adjusted R²=0.58).  Conclusion and Recommendation: HRQoL impairment in adults with AR is graded and closely tracks ARIA-defined severity, with the severity dimension outweighing the intermittent–persistent dimension. Routine incorporation of a brief severity or HRQoL screening instrument into rhinitis consultations is recommended, so that clinicians can identify patients whose daily functioning and sleep are meaningfully compromised and escalate treatment accordingly.