Impact of Treatment for Nasal Cavity Disorders on Sleep Quality: Systematic Review and Meta-analysis

Abstract

Objective To determine the impact of treatment for patients with nasal obstruction secondary to allergic rhinitis (AR) and nasal septal deviation (NSD) on sleep quality. Data Sources Primary studies were identified though PubMed, Scopus, Cochrane Library, and Web of Science. Review Methods A systematic review was performed by querying databases for articles published through August 2020. Studies were included that reported on objective sleep parameters (apnea-hypopnea index) and sinonasal and sleep-specific patient-reported outcome measures: Rhinoconjunctivitis Quality of Life Questionnaire, Nasal Obstruction Symptom Evaluation, Epworth Sleepiness Scale (EpSS), and Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI). Results The database search yielded 1414 unique articles, of which 28 AR and 7 NSD studies were utilized for meta-analysis. A total of 9037 patients (8515 with AR, 522 with NSD) were identified with a mean age of 35.0 years (35.3 for AR, 34.0 for NSD). Treatment for AR and NSD significantly improved subjective sleep quality. For AR, the EpSS mean difference was −1.5 (95% CI, –2.4 to –0.5; P = .002) and for the PSQI, –1.7 (95% CI, –2.1 to –1.2; P < .00001). For NSD, the EpSS mean difference was −3.2 (95% CI, –4.2 to –2.2; P < .00001) and for the PSQI, –3.4 (95% CI, –6.1 to –0.6; P = .02). Conclusion Subjective sleep quality significantly improved following treatment for AR and NSD. There were insufficient data to demonstrate that objective metrics of sleep quality similarly improved.