Does allergic rhinitis confer to a particular personality trait?

Does Allergic Rhinitis confer to a particular personality trait? Abstract: Background: a. To determine the personality traits of patients with Allergic Rhinitis. b. To study the association between the type of personality and type of allergic rhinitis; and to compare this with the general population. Methods: A descriptive observational pilot study was carried out on 50 consecutive cases of allergic rhinitis presenting to the Allergy clinic at our centre between June and October 2010. A control group of 50 Non allergic rhinitis persons were taken from the general population. Both these groups were subjected to an International Personality Disorder Examination (IPDE) Questionnaire for the assessment of personality traits. Results: Persons falling into Clusters C showed a positive correlation with the type and severity of allergic rhinitis. Majority of persons in the non allergic rhinitis control group fell into Cluster A type of personality. This indicated a dominant anxious trait correlating with allergic rhinitis, as against the control group. Conclusion: In psycho-allergological research, the potential relevance of personality factors in the maintenance and exacerbation of atopic symptoms is still a matter of debate. 1More attention should be paid to the psychological status of AR patients2, and appropriate treatment should be provided to improve their symptoms and quality of life. References: 1. Buske-Kirschbaum A, Ebrecht M, Kern S, Gierens A, Hellhammer DH. Personality characteristics in chronic and non-chronic allergic conditions. Brain Behav Immunol. 2008. Jul; 22(5): 762-8. 2. Xiaofei Lv, Lin Xi, Demin Han, Luo Zhang. Evaluation of the psychological status in seasonal allergic rhinitis patients. J Oto Rhino Laryngol Head Neck Surg 2010; 72:84-90.