Exposure to Pollen May Negatively Impact QoL in Chronic Rhinosinusitis

THURSDAY, Jan. 29, 2026 (HealthDay News) — For individuals with chronic rhinosinusitis (CRS), exposure to higher levels of pollen may have a negative impact on quality of life, according to a study recently published in Laryngoscope Investigative Otolaryngology.

Benton Tullis, from the University of Utah in Salt Lake City, and colleagues prospectively examined the impact of pollen in CRS disease severity in a study involving adult patients enrolled across four academic medical centers who completed the 22-item SinoNasal Outcome Test (SNOT-22) and Medical Outcomes Study Questionnaire Short-Form 6-D (SF-6D) surveys at enrollment. Mean annual pollen exposure was obtained over a five-year period before enrollment using residence zip codes.

A total of 103 patients were included in the study; 55 percent had a history of allergy. The researchers observed a correlation for higher five-year mean ragweed pollen exposure with worse presenting SNOT-22 and SF-6D scores (Spearman”s correlation coefficient [r_s], 0.24 and −0.21, respectively). A correlation was also seen for higher five-year weed pollen exposure with worse SNOT-22 scores (r_s, 0.20).

“Although preliminary, our data indicate that certain pollen types, including ragweed, may negatively affect sinonasal quality of life,” coauthor Amarbir S. Gill, M.D., from the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor, said in a statement.

Several authors disclosed ties to the biopharmaceutical and medical device industries.

Abstract/Full Text