Nose- and sinus-related quality of life and GERD

Though some data indicate an association between gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) and upper airway inflammatory disease, a connection between GERD and chronic rhinosinusitis (CRS) is a matter of controversy in today’s medicine. The aim of this study was to examine whether patients with GERD have a different nose- and sinus-related quality of life compared to a control group. A total of 77 patients with GERD diagnosed by gastroscopy were evaluated according to their nose- and sinus-related quality of life. It was scored using the Sino-Nasal Outcome Test-20 (SNOT-20). Total SNOT-20 score was compared with a control group consisting of 480 teachers. The average total SNOT-20 score in patients with GERD was 22.1, and in the control group 9.4 (p < 0.005). In the patient group, the median was 17.0 and standard deviation 18.4 corresponding to 5.0 and 11.5 in the controls. The 95% confidence interval in the patient group was (18.0, 26.3), and (8.3, 10.4) in the control group. Patients with GERD have a reduced nose- and sinus-related quality of life compared to a control group based on the fact that they have a significantly higher total SNOT-20 score than the controls. Accordingly, this study indicates that there is a causal relationship between GERD and CRS.