Association Between Respiratory Allergies and Vocal Symptoms: A Cross-sectional Population-Based Study

PURPOSE: To evaluate the prevalence of diagnosed respiratory allergies (DRAs) and their association with vocal symptoms in a population-based sample. It also sought to examine gender differences in the relation between DRAs and vocal symptoms. METHODS: This study utilized data from a questionnaire on language, speech, and voice, answered by 1728 Finnish twins in the age range 18-46 years. Following data refinement to account for twin bias, 1220 responses were analyzed. The questionnaire included questions on six vocal symptoms occurring during the last year and questions related to DRAs, common health issues, lifestyle factors, and medication use. RESULTS: The prevalence of DRA in this sample was 25.6%. A total of 19.8% experienced two or more vocal symptoms daily or weekly during the past year. Vocal symptoms were more common in women, and vocal symptoms was significantly more frequent in participants with DRAs. Allergic women reported significantly more vocal symptoms compared to men. CONCLUSIONS: DRA seems to be a contributing factor to frequently occurring vocal symptoms. Among DRA seems to be an additional risk factor for voice and throat problems. This should be considered during assessment and treatment of both respiratory allergies and voice disorders.