Breathefree - The Link Between Asthma and Allergic Rhinitis

1. The LinkBetweenAsthma andAllergic Rhinitis Asthmais achronicdiseasethataffectsyourairways.Yourairwaysaretubescarrying air inandoutofyour lungs. Ifyouhaveasthma,the insidewallsofyour airwayswill become swollenandnarrow. Thismakesthemvery sensitive, andthey mayreactstronglytothingsthatyouareallergictoorfindirritating. Allergicrhinitisisadiagnosisassociatedwithagroupof symptomsaffecting thenose.These symptomsoccur whenyoubreatheinsomething youareallergicto,suchasdust, animaldander,or pollen.Allergic rhinitis symptomscanalsooccur when youeatfoodthatyouareallergicto. SignsandSymptoms Signs and symptoms of asthma include shortness of breath, cough (especially early in the morning or at night),wheezing,andchesttightness. It can be difficult to determine allergens on your own so it is best to contact an allergist. Skin prick test is the most common method of allergy testing but a blood test or a radioallergosorbent test (RAST) could also be used for the diagnosisofallergicrhinitis. AsthmaandAllergicRhinitis Allergic rhinitis is considered to be a risk factor for asthma development. People with allergic rhinitis have a three timeshigher chanceof developing asthma.Interestingly,therelief of allergic rhinitissymptomsover timeis associatedwiththeimprovement ofasthma symptoms.Peoplewith severe andrepeated rhinitisareatgreater risk ofdeveloping asthma.Theincidenceofasthmaandallergicrhinitisalso increaseswithage. Allergic Rhinitis and its Impact on Asthma (ARIA) was a study done in collaboration with the World Health Organizationtostudythe linkbetweenthetwoconditionsandcreateguidelinesformedicalprofessionalsfor diagnosisandtreatment.The2001studystatedthat allergic rhinitis isanextremelyprevalentdiseasethataffects 10-25%of the global population andcanhave asignificant impactonthe quality of life,work/schoolperformance, andevenputaneconomicburdenintermsofthe direct costof illnessintermsof treatment andindirectwayslike theinabilitytowork. The ARIA study proposed that allergic rhinitis should be considered a risk factor for asthma and those with persistentallergic rhinitisshould beevaluated forasthmaby history,chest examination,andassessment of airflow

2. obstruction beforeand afterusing abronchodilator.Italsosuggested that those with asthmashouldbeevaluated forallergic rhinitisassometimespeoplemightnotrecognizethesymptoms. AllergicRhinitisTreatment The best treatment is to avoid the pollen that causes your symptoms. It may be impossible to avoid pollen completelybutyou can oftentakesteps toreduce yourexposure.Allergic rhinitistreatmentincludes antihistamines,corticosteroids,decongestantstakenastablets,capsules,and inhaledmedications. If you have asthma along with allergic rhinitis, you may find difficulty in breathing or feel tightness in your chest. Thepurposeofmedications istopreventsymptomslike thesefromhappening.Avarietyofinhalersareavailable to helpcontrolsymptoms. Many inhaled medications are prescribed to be used daily to keep your airways healthy, even if you do not experiencesymptomsallthetime.Thisis partof managingtheconditionandprevents itfromgettingworse.With inhaledmedications,themedicineisdelivereddirectlytoyourbronchialtubes,helping toopenyourairways.Also, thesemedicineshave fewerside effectsthanotherstakenbymouthor byinjection.There are three basic typesof devicesthat deliverinhaled medications– metered-doseinhaler(MDI),nebulizers,anddrypowderinhalers(DPIs). Themostcommonoftheseis themetered-doseinhaler (MDI). Nomatterwhichyouuse,gettingthemedicationtoyourlower airwaysis essential for themedicationtowork.