Nasal and bronchial response to exercise in children with seasonal allergic rhinitis out of the pollen season

Background Allergic rhinitis is a type I allergic disease of the nasal mucosa, and is characterized by paroxysmal sneezing, watery rhinorrhea, and nasal blockage. In seasonal allergic rhinitis subjects, even subthreshold allergen doses have been found to cause inflammatory cell infiltration in the nasal mucosa. This study aimed to investigate the presence of nasal obstructions and symptoms in seasonal allergic rhinitis subjects by assessing an exercise challenge test (ECT) outside of the pollen season. Methods Twenty patients and 20 healthy children who were admitted to the Osmangazi University Medical School Pediatric Allergy Clinic were included in the study in a pollen free season. The total nasal airflow and visual analog scale (for rhinorrhea, nasal congestion, sneezing, and itching) and pulmonary function tests were evaluated before and after each ECT. The nasal airflow and resistance changes were evaluated with anterior rhinomanometry. Results Eight patients and one healthy child had nasal obstructions after the ECT. There was a significant difference in the exercise‐induced nasal obstructions between the 2 groups ( p = 0.02). Eighteen children with exposure to tobacco smoke in the patient and control groups had lower forced expiratory volume in 1 second (FEV1), forced vital capacity (FVC), and forced expiratory flow 25% to 75% (FEF 25‐75 ) values than the children without exposure to tobacco smoke. Conclusion The prevalence of exercise‐induced nasal obstruction in children with seasonal rhinitis out of the pollen season is 40%. We showed that minimal persistent inflammation and nasal symptoms can also be diagnosed in rhinitis children in a symptom‐free period.