Acta Oto-Laryngologica
ISSN: 0001-6489 (Print) 1651-2251 (Online) Journal homepage: http://www.tandfonline.com/loi/ioto20
The role of psychic factors in patients with allergic rhinitis K. Czubalski & E. Zawisza To cite this article: K. Czubalski & E. Zawisza (1976) The role of psychic factors in patients with allergic rhinitis, Acta Oto-Laryngologica, 81:5-6, 484-488, DOI: 10.3109/00016487609107504 To link to this article: http://dx.doi.org/10.3109/00016487609107504
Published online: 08 Jul 2009.
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Citing articles: 1 View citing articles
Full Terms & Conditions of access and use can be found at http://www.tandfonline.com/action/journalInformation?journalCode=ioto20 Download by: [McMaster University]
Date: 05 April 2016, At: 20:18
Acta Otolaryngol81: 484488, 1976
THE ROLE OF PSYCHIC FACTORS IN PATIENTS WITH ALLERGIC RHINITIS K. Czubalski and E. Zawisza From the Departments of Clinical Psychology and Otolaryngology, Medical Academy, Warsaw, Poland
Downloaded by [McMaster University] at 20:18 05 April 2016
(Received June 9, 1975)
Abstract. Psychosomatic studies were made in 128 patients with allergic rhinitis. After the allergic and clinical anamnesis the patients were divided into two groups: those ill with hay fever (91 patients) and those suffering from perennial allergic rhinitis (37 patients). The assessment of the role of psychogenous factors in both varieties of allergic rhinitis was the main purpose of the investigation. The investigation showed that psychogenous factors are practically of no importance in hay fevers. Their role is great, however, when perennial allergic rhinitis is involved.
The role of immunological mechanisms (Dolowitz, 1974) is decisive in allergic phenomena but the importance of other factors, especially those of psychic character, is almost equally considerable (Dorfman, 1970; Sanger, 1970). In some patients they can act as stimuli releasing the disease symptoms. Emphasis is laid on the fact psychic stress in people genetically predisposed to allergic diseases may produce in them symptoms difficult to control (Sanger , 1970). The earlier researches point to the weight of emotions, which influence the course of hay fevers (Dunbar, 1954; Hamilton, 1955; Haughton, 1967; Wilson, 1948). Some observations may lead us to the conclusion that psychic stimuli aggravate the symptoms of hay fever. In one of the experiments patients were interviewed in a room containing some stable quantity of allergen to which they were sensitized. During the anamnesis dealing with Acta Otolaryngol81
different conflict situations in which the patients have been involved the symptoms of hay fever were visibly increased (Holmes et al., 1951). It was proved in number of inquiries that psychic stimuli can produce symptoms of hay fever. Some patients allergic to a particular genus of flowers suffer an onset of hay fever at the mere sight of imitations of these flowers (Hamilton, 1955). MATERIAL AND METHOD One hundred-and-thirty randomly selected patients (65 men, 65 women) with allergic rhinitis were examined. The ages of the patients ranged between 11 and 64.Most of them (120) were more than 18 years old, with 97 between 20 and 50 years of age. Ninety-seven patients lived in Warsaw, 20 in other towns, and 13 were country people. Two patients had to be excluded from the investigation because their allergological anamnesis proved to be unsatisfactory. The rest were divided into two groups according to the results obtained in the anamnesis and the clinical examinations. The patients with hay fever, 91 in all, were comprised the first, and those suffering from perennial allergic rhinitis (37 cases) the other group. All the patients were subjected to psychosomatic examinations. These consisted of psychosomatic anamnesis, estimation of the
Downloaded by [McMaster University] at 20:18 05 April 2016
Psychic fuctors and allergic rhinitis
psychic condition of the patients, and drawing up of an inventory of the patient’s personality. Moreover some of the ill were put through electroencephalographic tests. All the examined were subjected to allergic examinations. In some of the patients the level of IgE in blood serum was singed means by radio-immunological assay (J 125). Statistical analysis of the obtained data was carried out by the following methods: ( a ) by testing the differences in proportion in two different populations, and ( b ) x2 tests with the Yates correction. The aim of the experiment was the comparison of the role of psychic factors in the course of hay fever and perennial allergic rhinitis. The, investigation is part of the research into allergic rhinitis.
RESULTS Our examination shows that the transmission of hereditary allergic factors was similar among the closest members of the patient’s family. On the other hand it was a little more frequent among the relatives of the patients with hay fever (48%), than among the relatives of those with perennial allergic rhinitis (43 %). In order to assess the role of psychic factors in the course of hay fever and perennial allergic rhinitis, each case was analysed in two respects. One aspect concerned those moments in the past which were essential in the formation of the patient’s personality with special consideration of the situations causing frustrations, while the other concerned the present situation of the patient. Factors which are essential for the formation of the personality are: the attitude of the parents, or foster-parents, to the child; mutual attitude of the parents (foster-parents); loss of one of the parents (foster-parents) or both. Most of the patients, i.e. 93, in the whole examined group were brought up by their parents only, with the mother bearing the main
485
burden of upbringing. In 12 cases, the grandmother played a similar role, participating in the raising of the child to the same degree as did the mother. The remaining patients in the group, i.e. 4 persons, were brought up by other people or in an orphanage. For the normal development of a child’s personality, a proper attitude of the parents (foster-parents) to the child is very important. What is meant here by “proper attitude” is, among other factors, acceptance of the child, reasonably mild and consistent methods of raising it, the same treatment of all the children. Mutual attitudes of parents and children (i.e. patients) were estimated according to a two-level scale. Following the division of the patients into the two groups, the attitudes of the parents to the patients were examined in 30 patients with perennial allergic rhinitis, and 72 with hay fever. Assuming the differences on the statistically significant level (P
ISSN: 0001-6489 (Print) 1651-2251 (Online) Journal homepage: http://www.tandfonline.com/loi/ioto20
The role of psychic factors in patients with allergic rhinitis K. Czubalski & E. Zawisza To cite this article: K. Czubalski & E. Zawisza (1976) The role of psychic factors in patients with allergic rhinitis, Acta Oto-Laryngologica, 81:5-6, 484-488, DOI: 10.3109/00016487609107504 To link to this article: http://dx.doi.org/10.3109/00016487609107504
Published online: 08 Jul 2009.
Submit your article to this journal
View related articles
Citing articles: 1 View citing articles
Full Terms & Conditions of access and use can be found at http://www.tandfonline.com/action/journalInformation?journalCode=ioto20 Download by: [McMaster University]
Date: 05 April 2016, At: 20:18
Acta Otolaryngol81: 484488, 1976
THE ROLE OF PSYCHIC FACTORS IN PATIENTS WITH ALLERGIC RHINITIS K. Czubalski and E. Zawisza From the Departments of Clinical Psychology and Otolaryngology, Medical Academy, Warsaw, Poland
Downloaded by [McMaster University] at 20:18 05 April 2016
(Received June 9, 1975)
Abstract. Psychosomatic studies were made in 128 patients with allergic rhinitis. After the allergic and clinical anamnesis the patients were divided into two groups: those ill with hay fever (91 patients) and those suffering from perennial allergic rhinitis (37 patients). The assessment of the role of psychogenous factors in both varieties of allergic rhinitis was the main purpose of the investigation. The investigation showed that psychogenous factors are practically of no importance in hay fevers. Their role is great, however, when perennial allergic rhinitis is involved.
The role of immunological mechanisms (Dolowitz, 1974) is decisive in allergic phenomena but the importance of other factors, especially those of psychic character, is almost equally considerable (Dorfman, 1970; Sanger, 1970). In some patients they can act as stimuli releasing the disease symptoms. Emphasis is laid on the fact psychic stress in people genetically predisposed to allergic diseases may produce in them symptoms difficult to control (Sanger , 1970). The earlier researches point to the weight of emotions, which influence the course of hay fevers (Dunbar, 1954; Hamilton, 1955; Haughton, 1967; Wilson, 1948). Some observations may lead us to the conclusion that psychic stimuli aggravate the symptoms of hay fever. In one of the experiments patients were interviewed in a room containing some stable quantity of allergen to which they were sensitized. During the anamnesis dealing with Acta Otolaryngol81
different conflict situations in which the patients have been involved the symptoms of hay fever were visibly increased (Holmes et al., 1951). It was proved in number of inquiries that psychic stimuli can produce symptoms of hay fever. Some patients allergic to a particular genus of flowers suffer an onset of hay fever at the mere sight of imitations of these flowers (Hamilton, 1955). MATERIAL AND METHOD One hundred-and-thirty randomly selected patients (65 men, 65 women) with allergic rhinitis were examined. The ages of the patients ranged between 11 and 64.Most of them (120) were more than 18 years old, with 97 between 20 and 50 years of age. Ninety-seven patients lived in Warsaw, 20 in other towns, and 13 were country people. Two patients had to be excluded from the investigation because their allergological anamnesis proved to be unsatisfactory. The rest were divided into two groups according to the results obtained in the anamnesis and the clinical examinations. The patients with hay fever, 91 in all, were comprised the first, and those suffering from perennial allergic rhinitis (37 cases) the other group. All the patients were subjected to psychosomatic examinations. These consisted of psychosomatic anamnesis, estimation of the
Downloaded by [McMaster University] at 20:18 05 April 2016
Psychic fuctors and allergic rhinitis
psychic condition of the patients, and drawing up of an inventory of the patient’s personality. Moreover some of the ill were put through electroencephalographic tests. All the examined were subjected to allergic examinations. In some of the patients the level of IgE in blood serum was singed means by radio-immunological assay (J 125). Statistical analysis of the obtained data was carried out by the following methods: ( a ) by testing the differences in proportion in two different populations, and ( b ) x2 tests with the Yates correction. The aim of the experiment was the comparison of the role of psychic factors in the course of hay fever and perennial allergic rhinitis. The, investigation is part of the research into allergic rhinitis.
RESULTS Our examination shows that the transmission of hereditary allergic factors was similar among the closest members of the patient’s family. On the other hand it was a little more frequent among the relatives of the patients with hay fever (48%), than among the relatives of those with perennial allergic rhinitis (43 %). In order to assess the role of psychic factors in the course of hay fever and perennial allergic rhinitis, each case was analysed in two respects. One aspect concerned those moments in the past which were essential in the formation of the patient’s personality with special consideration of the situations causing frustrations, while the other concerned the present situation of the patient. Factors which are essential for the formation of the personality are: the attitude of the parents, or foster-parents, to the child; mutual attitude of the parents (foster-parents); loss of one of the parents (foster-parents) or both. Most of the patients, i.e. 93, in the whole examined group were brought up by their parents only, with the mother bearing the main
485
burden of upbringing. In 12 cases, the grandmother played a similar role, participating in the raising of the child to the same degree as did the mother. The remaining patients in the group, i.e. 4 persons, were brought up by other people or in an orphanage. For the normal development of a child’s personality, a proper attitude of the parents (foster-parents) to the child is very important. What is meant here by “proper attitude” is, among other factors, acceptance of the child, reasonably mild and consistent methods of raising it, the same treatment of all the children. Mutual attitudes of parents and children (i.e. patients) were estimated according to a two-level scale. Following the division of the patients into the two groups, the attitudes of the parents to the patients were examined in 30 patients with perennial allergic rhinitis, and 72 with hay fever. Assuming the differences on the statistically significant level (P
