Prevalence of allergic rhinitis symptoms and positive skin-prick test results in patients with dry eye.

BACKGROUND: Dry eye is characterized by decreased tear production and/or increased evaporation rates of the tear film barrier. Allergic rhinitis is an inflammatory disease that develops through immunoglobulin E in the rhino-ocular mucosa due to allergens. To investigate the prevalence of allergic rhinitis symptoms and positive skin-prick test results in patients with dry eye.

METHODS: This is a case-control study. The study included 57 patients with dry eye and 48 healthy subjects. The prevalence of allergic symptoms and skin-prick test results were assessed and compared with the control group.

RESULTS: With regard to positive reactions to allergens in skin-prick tests, Dermatophagoides pteronyssinus allergy (p = 0.0003), Dermatophagoides farinae allergy (p = 0.0003), grass-mix allergy (p = 0.049), Salicaces allergy (p = 0.006), and Compositae allergy (p = 0.019) were significantly observed to be higher in the group with dry eye. Nasal obstruction (p = 0.027), discharge (p = 0.0001), sneeze (p = 0.0003), itching (p = 0.0001), and postnasal drainage (p = 0.001) symptoms were observed to be significantly higher in the group with dry eye.

CONCLUSIONS: Our study revealed that there was a significant association between dry eye and allergic rhinitis with positive skin-prick test results. There may be a possible link between dry eye and allergy.