Survey Shows Nearly 1 in 4 Americans With Nasal Congestion Experience Symptoms Almost Every Day

In light of May being Allergy and Asthma Awareness Month, the Harris On Demand survey found that chronic nasal congestion is a common problem among US adults, with nearly 1 in 4 experiencing it every day and 85% reporting the congestion negatively impacting their daily activities.

The survey also showed that although most of the people suffering from chronic nasal congestion know about allergies as a potential cause, more than half are not aware that nasal polyps—non-cancerous growths that occur with chronic inflammation high and deep in the nasal passages—are a common cause of nasal symptoms that last more than 12 weeks. Further, fewer than half of people who suffer from chronic nasal congestion seek help from a specialist to look deeper at the cause of their chronic problem, according to the survey.

Additional findings of the survey include:

• Approximately 90% of people reported aspects of their daily life are negatively affected when they experience chronic nasal congestion, including their ability to get a good night’s sleep (60%), smell or properly taste food (48%), or enjoy outdoor activities (33%).
• Ninety-five percent of those surveyed experience additional symptoms with their chronic congestion, including more than half who have headaches and one-third who feel fatigued.
• Half of those surveyed are uncertain whether symptoms they experience are due to their chronic nasal congestion worsening or from COVID-19.

"Nasal polyps affect up to an estimated 10 million Americans and are particularly common in people who also have allergies, recurring sinus infections or asthma," said Neal Jain, MD, a board-certified allergist and immunologist, in a press release. "Despite their high prevalence, nasal polyps are largely underdiagnosed and as the survey showed, most people with chronic congestion don't know that nasal polyps deep in the nose might be causing their symptoms.

“I frequently see patients who are frustrated with persistent symptoms despite using conventional nasal steroid sprays that you can get over the counter or as a generic prescription. Because there are other treatments available from your doctor that can shrink or even eliminate nasal polyps, I encourage patients to talk to a health care specialist to take a deeper look at what might be causing their nasal congestion."

The survey was conducted online within the United States by The Harris Poll on behalf of Optinose from March 23, 2021, to March 25, 2021, among 2016 US adults 18 years of age and older, of whom, 529 have experienced chronic nasal congestion. This online survey is not based on a probability sample and therefore no estimate of theoretical sampling error can be calculated, according to the press release.

REFERENCE

New Harris Survey Reveals Chronic Nasal Congestion Is Surprisingly Widespread: Nearly 1 in 4 Americans With Nasal Congestion Experience Symptoms Almost Every Day. PR Newswire. Published April 27, 2021. Accessed May 11, 2021. https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/new-harris-survey-reveals-chronic-nasal-congestion-is-surprisingly-widespread-nearly-1-in-4-americans-with-nasal-congestion-experience-symptoms-almost-every-day-301277257.html