Patients with chronic rhinosinusitis have increased incidence of other chronic illnesses

Patients who suffer from chronic rhinosinusitis (CRS) also tend to suffer from other chronic illnesses, like asthma, hypertension, and arthritis. In a paper presented at the 2009 American Academy of Otolaryngology – Head and Neck Surgery Foundation (AAO-HNSF) Annual Meeting & OTO EXPO in San Diego, researchers studied the electronic records of 1,970,695 patients to determine whether there was a relationship between CRS and other chronic conditions. Chronic rhinosinusitis is an inflammatory condition involving one or more of the paranasal sinuses. The condition usually follows an allergic reaction or viral upper respiratory infection.

The analysis showed a higher incidence of CRS in patients with other chronic diseases, especially asthma patients, who are more likely to also have nasal polyps. Patients with other chronic diseases such as high blood pressure and arthritis also have higher incidence of chronic sinusitis but not nasal polyps.

The results of the study suggest that some of these chronic diseases may share common mechanisms of how they arise or progress.

Source: American Academy of Otolaryngology -- Head and Neck Surgery