The Eurecat technology centre is conducting a study to assess the effects of probiotic supplementation on the symptoms of persistent allergic rhinitis and the quality of life of people affected who account for 21.5 percent of the population, with the greatest impact on young children and young people.
Allergic rhinitis is a health problem characterised by inflammation of the nasal mucosa due to the immune system’s reaction to exposure to environmental allergens such as animal hair, feathers, pollen, dust mites and fungal spores in sensitised individuals. In Europe alone, confirmed cases of allergic rhinitis are estimated at between 17 and 28.5 percent with a prevalence of 22.7 percent.
“The main cause of allergic rhinitis is allergy to dust mites and this may mean the patient experiences discomfort all year round,” says Dr Òscar Sotorra, an allergist at Hospital Universitari Sant Joan de Reus. “The allergy involves several cells which are part of the immune system and may be related to certain diseases and microorganisms which live in the gut.”
“Although allergic rhinitis is not associated with severe morbidity and mortality, the symptoms can significantly impinge on the quality of life of patients with this disease, diminishing the quality of sleep and cognitive function, triggering irritability and tiredness and consequently a drop in work performance,” adds Anna Crescenti, a researcher in Eurecat’s Nutrition and Health Unit and the project’s principal investigator. Patients with allergic rhinitis also have an increased risk of developing respiratory infections and asthma.
