This photo taken Jan. 19, 2020, shows central Seoul blanketed in a gray haze caused by fine dust. (Yonhap)
SEOUL, Nov. 20 (Korea Bizwire) — A recent study has found that a higher density of ultrafine dust in the atmosphere aggravates the symptoms of allergic rhinitis.
A research team led by Hong Seung-no, a professor of otolaryngology at the Boramae Medical Center, said Thursday it confirmed the correlation between the density of ultra-fine dust (PM10, or fine dust particles smaller than 10 micrometers in diameter) and the aggravation of symptoms of allergic rhinitis through a study conducted of 690 allergic rhinitis patients.
The research team conducted a survey on the seriousness of symptoms and the duration period for allergic rhinitis patients and compared the results to the density of ultra-fine dust in the region they resided in, measured by the nation’s 12 observatories.
After accounting for external factors that could affect the study’s results, including age, gender and place of residence, the study confirmed that there is a positive correlation between the density of ultra-fine dust and the seriousness of rhinitis symptoms.
A p-value is a standard measure to verify the hypothesis of a thesis, and p-values of less than 0.05 represent the probability that a hypothesis is statistically significant. This study showed a p-value of 0.021.
Accordingly, the research team concluded that the increase in the density of ultrafine dust is an independent risk factor that can lead to aggravation of the symptoms of allergic rhinitis patients.
“In the winter, ultrafine dust occurs frequently due to the stagnation of the atmosphere. Those suffering from allergic rhinitis should pay extra care to prevent their symptoms from becoming worse,” Hong said.
J. S. Shin (js_shin@koreabizwire.com)
