Investigating the Effect of Climate Change on Rhinologic Disease
The effects of climate change on the environment and economy are well documented, and there is growing evidence that global warming also is a significant driver of rhinologic diseases, including allergic and nonallergic rhinitis, chronic rhinosinusitis, and allergic fungal rhinosinusitis. Amber Luong, MD, PhD, professor and vice chair for academic affairs in the Department of Otorhinolaryngology at McGovern Medical School at UTHealth Houston, is among the authors of Climate Change, the Environment, and Rhinologic Disease, one of the most downloaded articles published in the International Forum of Allergy & Rhinology.
“Allergy and related diseases have increased at an epidemic rate and currently are believed to affect from 10% to 30% of the world’s population,” says Dr. Luong, a founding member of the Allergy and Immunology Section of the American Rhinologic Society (ARS), whose members researched and wrote the article. “Based on our review, we expect global warming to worsen the already significant morbidity of rhinologic diseases. We also know that climate change will have a greater effect on people in lower socioeconomic groups and worsen the current disparities in access to quality health care. As we wrote in the article, ‘The hot get hotter, the wet get wetter, the dry get drier, and the poor get poorer with respect to health’.”
The authors suggest that ENTs and other practitioners who treat rhinologic diseases prepare for changes in the demographics and numbers of patients they see. “We believe we need to be ready to mitigate potential negative outcomes,” she says. “After reviewing the literature on the role climate change plays in upper respiratory inflammatory diseases, we see a need to expand our databases to include detailed information about diagnoses, the social and environmental determinants of health, health outcomes, and the cost and utilization of care. Major funding for focused research is always welcome, and we hope for collaboration between institutions in multiple geographic locations. We encourage others, including the biopharmaceutical and medical device industries, nonprofit organizations, and the federal government, to engage with our academic institutions to expand our impact.”
Reference
Kim J, Waugh DW, Zaitchik BF, Luong A, Bergmark R, Lam K, Roland L, Levy J, Lee JT, Cho D-Y, Ramanathan JM, Baroody, F, Takashima M, O’Brien D, Lin SY, Joe S, Chaaban MR, Butrymowicz A, Smith S, Mullings W. Climate change, the environment, and rhinologic disease. Int Forum Allergy Rhinol. 2023;13-865-876.