OBJECTIVES: To examine the quality of life among patients with different allergic diseases and to assess the health perception of patients with allergies compared to patients without allergies. METHODS: The source of data was the Vienna Health and Social Survey, a representative cross-sectional survey, commissioned by the City of Vienna. RESULTS: 18.7% of those suffering from allergies in the year before questioning reported that they had felt "very impaired", 30.0% felt "quite impaired", 42.4% "a little impaired" and 8.9% "not impaired at all". Women felt "very impaired" as a consequence of allergy more often than men (21.8% vs. 15.2%, p < 0.05). On a scale of 0 to 100 (0 = worst possible; 100 = best possible state of health) patients with allergies rated their state of health as distinctly worse than those people without allergies (71.7 vs. 74.1 points, p < 0.001). Of the various allergic illnesses patients suffering from asthma or allergy-related intestinal problems experienced the greatest impairment in quality of life. For these two diseases physical ability and feeling fit enough to do what one would like to do was also significantly reduced, when compared with subjects without allergies. CONCLUSION: Compared to people without allergies, patients with allergies have a significantly more impaired quality of life. It is important to take this into account when deciding upon a treatment regime.
OBJECTIVES: To examine the quality of life among patients with different allergic diseases and to assess the health perception of patients with allergies compared to patients without allergies. METHODS: The source of data was the Vienna Health and Social Survey, a representative cross-sectional survey, commissioned by the City of Vienna. RESULTS: 18.7% of those suffering from allergies in the year before questioning reported that they had felt "very impaired", 30.0% felt "quite impaired", 42.4% "a little impaired" and 8.9% "not impaired at all". Women felt "very impaired" as a consequence of allergy more often than men (21.8% vs. 15.2%, p < 0.05). On a scale of 0 to 100 (0 = worst possible; 100 = best possible state of health) patients with allergies rated their state of health as distinctly worse than those people without allergies (71.7 vs. 74.1 points, p < 0.001). Of the various allergic illnessespatients suffering from asthma or allergy-related intestinal problems experienced the greatest impairment in quality of life. For these two diseases physical ability and feeling fit enough to do what one would like to do was also significantly reduced, when compared with subjects without allergies. CONCLUSION: Compared to people without allergies, patients with allergies have a significantly more impaired quality of life. It is important to take this into account when deciding upon a treatment regime.
Authors: A Gillissen; K-C Bergmann; J Kleine-Tebbe; G Schultze-Werninghaus; J C Virchow; U Wahn; J-M Graf von der Schulenburg Journal: Dtsch Med Wochenschr Date: 2003-01-31 Impact factor: 0.628
Authors: M S Dykewicz; S Fineman; D P Skoner; R Nicklas; R Lee; J Blessing-Moore; J T Li; I L Bernstein; W Berger; S Spector; D Schuller Journal: Ann Allergy Asthma Immunol Date: 1998-11 Impact factor: 6.347
Authors: Mary E Bollinger; Lynnda M Dahlquist; Kim Mudd; Claire Sonntag; Lindsay Dillinger; Kristine McKenna Journal: Ann Allergy Asthma Immunol Date: 2006-03 Impact factor: 6.347
Authors: Boris A Stuck; Julia Czajkowski; Anna-Eva Hagner; Ludger Klimek; Thomas Verse; Karl Hörmann; Joachim T Maurer Journal: J Allergy Clin Immunol Date: 2004-04 Impact factor: 10.793
Authors: Robert J Adams; David H Wilson; Anne W Taylor; Alison Daly; Edouard Tursan d'Espaignet; Eleonora Dal Grande; Richard E Ruffin Journal: Chest Date: 2006-02 Impact factor: 9.410