Allergic rhinitis and asthma are onefamily

(Wang Jianzhong, Director of Otolaryngology, Sun Yat-sen Hospital, Fudan University)

Respiratory diseases are one of the most common, and the nose often bears the brunt of them as a gateway to the respiratory tract. Foreign surveys show that almost 100% of respiratory diseases and allergic rhinitis can not be linked. Allergic rhinitis problem can not be solved, respiratory diseases can not be completely cured.

It is related to congenital allergy to physical fitness

Allergic rhinitis is mainly manifested as: itchy nose, nasal congestion, runny nose, sneezing. The manifestations of bronchial asthma are mainly repeated coughing and wheezing attacks, and often aggravated at night, disturbing patients, and even the occurrence of breathing difficulties, chest tightness unbearable. Many children exposed to paint, pollen will cause acute attacks, most patients are allergic to dust mites, some can also be allergic to food, fish, shrimp, milk, animal fur, chemical aerosols, etc. , in addition to climate change, cold, respiratory infections, exercise, mood swings can also be attacked or aggravated.

Allergic rhinitis has long been considered an upper respiratory disease, asthma is a lower respiratory disease, the two are completely separate two diseases. However, more and more studies in recent years have found that the airways of the human body are a whole from the top down, both in anatomy and in terms of the mechanism of inflammation, both confirm the common characteristics of allergic rhinitis and asthma, and are related to genetic physique.

Nasal mucosa "origin" of respiratory pervert reactions

The upper respiratory tract is the first line of defense for air particles and irritants in the respiratory system. The nasal cavity is the "guardian" of the entire lower respiratory tract, like an air filter and regulator, providing the most suitable air for the lower respiratory tract. When the nasal mucosa is stimulated or lesions occur, changes in nasal function can have a direct or reflexive effect on the lower respiratory tract, inducing asthma.

Rhinitis can be associated with asthma

Most people with allergic rhinitis do not have asthma, while most people with asthma are accompanied by allergic rhinitis. About 80% of cases of asthma and allergic rhinitis have been reported to occur before or in conjunction with asthma, suggesting that asthma is an extension of allergic rhinitis or that allergic rhinitis can "advance" to asthma.

Clinical diagnosis of whether patients with allergic asthma, will ask patients whether there is allergic rhinitis as a child, other organs have also had allergic lesions, because these children are usually not only nose disturbance, bronchial, skin, eye conjunctiva, etc. may have allergic lesions, of which bronchial tubes because of the nasal cavity closest, so the most closely related, and the two will induce each other, if rhinitis is not treated early, the possibility of asthma is also very high.

Epidemiological studies in many countries have shown that asthma and allergic rhinitis can occur independently or in the same patient at the same time. Many patients with bronchial asthma often suffer from allergic rhinitis at the same time, and many children with allergic rhinitis often have asthma at the same time, in fact, only clinical manifestations of symptoms focus on different, and the two have a close and inseparable relationship. Some allergic rhinitis, although there are no obvious asthma attacks, but itchy nose, nasal congestion, runny nose, sneezing or accompanied by an incurable cough, or accompanied by chest tightness attacks, in fact, has been a bronchial reactive increase in performance, often referred to as hypersensitivity laryngitis. It's an atypical asthma attack.

Since allergic rhinitis and asthma are different manifestations of the same disease in the upper and lower respiratory tracts, they can be divided into three stages:

1. Allergic rhinitis without bronchial hyperactivity or asthma;

2. Allergic rhinitis has a high bronchial reaction, but no asthma;

3. Allergic rhinitis is associated with asthma

These three stages only reflect the different severity of the syndrome. Once asthma is established, the high bronchial response takes the form of persistence.

To prevent asthma, first treat rhinitis

The incidence of asthma in patients with allergic rhinitis is 20%-40%, significantly higher than the normal population of 2%-5%. As a result, people with allergic rhinitis are 8-20 times more likely to develop asthma than normal. A considerable number of asthma sufferers have allergic rhinitis symptoms prior to an asthma attack, if they can take effective treatment measures against allergic rhinitis in a timely manner, asthma attacks can be avoided. If the allergic rhinitis and its impact on asthma is not enough, attention is not enough, treatment often miss the other side, the wrong disease.

Therefore, to control asthma, we should first pay attention to the treatment of allergic rhinitis. Asthma is the main cause of the rise in emergency rates, missed work and missed schools, which places a great burden on society and families. Studies have shown that nasal symptoms largely affect the treatment of asthma, and that preventing and treating allergic rhinitis can effectively prevent rhinitis from further developing into asthma and preventing it from occurring at its source.

Treatment control, no contact with allergens

With the increasing complexity of modern urban life, causing the human body to be unsympathetic to impurities and allergens are very many, such as automobile exhaust, dust, pollen, cosmetics, decoration materials, food mold and air pollution, so that urban people have a higher rate of rhinitis than rural areas, developed areas have a higher rate of rhinitis than backward areas.

Prevent the occurrence of allergic rhinitis and asthma, one is to try to avoid allergens, such as less outings during pollen season. Try to avoid the causes of asthma: such as animal fur, cigarette smoke, strong smell, pollen, avoid colds, pay attention to rest.

Treatments include medication, desensitization, physiotherapy, surgical treatment, etc., all of which vary according to individual conditions and must therefore be followed by a doctor.