More on the impact of allergic rhinitis on sleep

In yesterday’s post I discussed a press release from GlaxoSmithKline on the impact of hayfever and other allergic rhinitis symptoms on sleep.

I didn’t mean to imply that lack of sleep is not a public health issue! There is no doubt in my mind that the fatigue and fogginess that can arise from poor quality sleep impacts on your abilities to drive, work and interact with people.

My concern is the methodology behind the linking of allergic rhinitis with poor sleep. The results of the study are based on self report. That means they asked approximately 1,000 people to describe their sleep and correlated this to their health. The trouble with using self-reporting is that it is entirely subjective. You may think you had a bad night’s sleep but you may have slept for longer or more deeply than you realised.

The only way to be conclusively prove that hayfever interferes with sleep is to conduct scientific or objective studies. These could take the form of a Polysomnogram study while the individual is sleeping. A polysomnogram records heart rate, brain and eye movement activity as well as breathing. This would provide clear evidence of sleeping problems. Another option would be to have the individuals perform tests that simulate driving or other day to day activities to determine if their performance has been impaired.

Intuitively I believe that hayfever and allergic rhinitis do interfere with sleep, and may even contribute to sleep apnoea, but I don’t believe that self-reporting provides sufficient proof of that theory. Just my two cents worth (except we don’t have two cent coins any more so I guess it’s my ten cents worth).

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Hayfever and allergic rhinitis impair sleep

As a long time sufferer of both allergic rhinitis and insomnia it comes as no surprise that hayfever and other forms of allergic rhinitis interfere with sleep.

Let's face it - it's pretty hard to get to sleep (initial insomnia) when you have to reach for a tissue every 30 seconds, or you find yourself sneezing and coughing. And even when you do get to sleep the quality of your sleep is likely to be impaired. If your nose is blocked you find yourself struggling to breathe and often wake with a sore throat from breathing through your mouth.

According to the study, funded by the pharmaceutical company, GlaxoSmithKline nearly half the people with allergic rhinitis reported difficulties falling asleep and nearly two-thirds reported that they had inadequate sleep.

Not surprisingly the helpful folks at GlaxoSmithKline put in a plug for their products suggesting that:

"Treating allergic rhinitis or other nasal symptoms may improve dramatically the quality of sleep. In the long term, such a strategy would have positive repercussions on a societal level; for example, the numbers of road and work accidents would be reduced. Considering the high incidence of allergic rhinitis and the high rate of associated sleep disorders, the issue is one of public health."

It seems a bit of a stretch to go from hayfever and poor quality sleep to "positive repercussions on a societal level" however I do believe that hayfever-type symptoms interfere with sleep.

I have tried a variety of treatments, both conventional and alternative. I have tried several nasal sprays, such as Eltair, Rhinocort and Beconase as well as anti-histamines and nasal decongestants, such as Sudafed. I have also tried aromatherapy inhalations of peppermint oil and eucalyptus. Unfortunately not much works. Vicks smeared under the nostril provides temporary relief, as does aromatherapy inhalations. The nasal decongestants and anti-histamines are pretty hit and miss. Sometimes they work, and sometimes the same medication has little or no effect.

My latest treatment is a completely natural nasal rinse containing baking soda and salt. So far I've used it twice and it seems to work. Fingers crossed it will help me achieve a peaceful night's sleep.

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