nitrogen-dioxide and Sinusitis

Air pollution directly interacts with airway mucosa, yet little is known about how pollutants affect upper airway inflammation. Studies have shown increased incidence of chronic rhinosinusitis (CRS), rhinitis, and asthma in areas with higher traffic pollution, and these neighborhoods are often associated with lower socioeconomic status (SES). The Area Deprivation Index (ADI) assesses neighborhood-level SES by zip code. The purpose of this study was to assess the relationship between SES and exposure to inhaled pollutants and CRS disease severity.. CRS patients with and without nasal polyps (CRSwNP and CRSsNP, respectively) were identified (total patients = 234; CRSwNP patients = 138; CRSsNP patients = 96). Pollutant concentrations, including particulate matter 2.5 (PM. The distribution of CRSsNP and CRSwNP patients across ADI state deciles was similar. ADI, however, was a predictor of exposure to airborne pollutants (PM. Lower SES predicted higher exposure to air pollution and increased disease severity in patients with CRS as demonstrated by the increased need for steroid treatment.

Topics: Air Pollutants; Air Pollution; Chronic Disease; Environmental Exposure; Environmental Pollutants; Humans; Nitrogen Dioxide; Particulate Matter; Severity of Illness Index; Sinusitis; Social Class