Allergic rhinitis (AR) is one of the most common allergic
diseases characterized by stuffy
nose,
rhinorrhea,
sneezing, and
itching.
Researchers have indicated an increase in the
prevalence of AR and younger-age onset during the last few decades. The increasing burden of AR has caused many
researchers to investigate
time trends of the
prevalence of AR and to identify its
risk factors. The most commonly used
epidemiological studies are cross-sectional ones such as the International Study of
Asthma and
Allergies in Childhood study and
big data from
National Health Insurance Service or
National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey. However, these studies have many limitations including recall
bias, selection bias, and deficit of objective evaluation. Furthermore, crosssectional studies cannot reflect new
risk factors associated with the development of AR. New
epidemiological studies will be needed to cover genetic factors, environmental changes,
microbiomes, and
lifestyles that are known to be
risk factors for AR. Further studies
will be needed to determine the
prevalence,
natural history, and
risk factors of AR in order to advance our
understanding of the pathophysiology, prevention, and management of comorbidities of AR.