Disease perception and social behaviour in persistent rhinitis: a comparison between patients with allergic and nonallergic rhinitis.

Although the understanding of the pathophysiology and pharmacology of rhinitis has increased within recent years, few studies have examined the impact of rhinitis on patients’ behaviour. This study compared two forms of chronic rhinitis, perennial allergic rhinitis due to house dust mites (PAR) and perennial non-allergic rhinitis (or so-called vasomotor rhinitis) (VMR) in terms of patients’ perception of their disease and its psychosocial concomitants. Thirty-one patients with PAR and 32 patients with VMR responded to a standard symptom list and were interviewed in-depth regarding their complaints and the impact of rhinitis on their daily life. PAR and VMR patients reported similar somatic and psychosocial complaints. In both disease groups the adverse effects of rhinitis were reported to be substantially limiting, particularly in social contacts, the impact appearing to be more severe in the women. Disease perception and social adjustment appear not to depend appreciably on whether or not an objective diagnosis of rhinitis can be established.