An Investigation of the Manifestations of Nose, Sinus, Larynx, Head, and Neck among the Elderly Population in Rural Areas of Rasht City, Iran (2013-2014)

Given the growing elderly population in the country, significant proportion of chronic diseases in this group, and necessity of investigation on aspects of the elderly health in order to prevent disability and reduce the complications of diseases in them, this study was conducted to determine the manifestations of nose, sinus, larynx, head, and neck among the elderly over 60 years in the rural areas around Rasht City.
In this descriptive cross-sectional study, 35 villages of were randomly selected Rasht city from, and 413 elderly subjects randomly entered the study. After obtaining a written informed consent, the elderly were examined by general practitioners and an otolaryngologist.
A total of 413 subjects [195 (47.20%) females and 218 (52.80%) males] with the mean age of 73.47±7.04 participated in this study. The most common sinonasal disorder was septal deviation (60.68%). Other sinonasal disorders were mucosa paleness (18.23%), stuffy nose feeling (12.83%), hyposmia (12.10%), anosmia (3.14%) and nasal polyposis (1.43%). The most common oral disorder was dental problems (88.90%). Other common disorders of the mouth, pharynx, and larynx included dry mouth (46.73%), dysphagia (24.21%), snoring (40.19%), inflamed mucosa (14.50%), and the most common neck disorder was thyroid enlargement (2.56%).
The results of the present study showed that the prevalence of nose, sinus, larynx, head, and neck disorders is significant among the elderly population of Guilan.