Influence of allergen immunotherapy on the quality of life in patients with asthma, allergic rhinitis and insect venom allergy

Evaluation of the health-related quality of life (HRQoL) mirrors subjective evaluation of quality of life in the context of health problems. Currently, it is recommended to evaluate QoL in broad spectrum of diseases, while its improvement is regarded as one of the treatment goals. Generic questionnaires or questionnaires specific for the disease are diagnostic tools addressed for the qol measurement in certain disorders. In allergy clinic such questionnaires, among the others, are available for patients with asthma, allergic rhinitis and in insect venom allergic patients. In asthma and allergic rhinitis the most frequently used are questionnaires invented by Juniper, addressed to adults, adolescents, children and their caregivers. For patients with insect venom allergy VQLQ, CHVAQoLS and PoCHVAQoLS scales were designed respectively for adults, children and their caregivers. These tools not only measure HRQoL in specific diseases, but are also useful for its evaluation with the respect to certain treatment options, including allergen immunotherapy. The result of systematic reviews and meta-analyses indicate for high positive impact of allergen immunotherapy in respect to qol improvement in patients with an allergic rhinitis and/or asthma (regardless of patient’s allergen profile and age), as well as in insect venom allergy. One may assume that HRQoL evaluation will become a standard clinical approach to the patient, improving treatment outcomes.