One Airway, One Disease
Many patients with rhinitis end up suffering asthma. In fact allergic rhinitis is considered to be one of the main risk factors to develop bronchial asthma.
[quote align=»center» color=»#999999″]Almost half of the rhinitics patients have never gone to the doctor
In children it is even more important, because the phenomenom known as allergic march often completes its way: the baby starts showing skin symptoms (atopic dermatitis) or food allergy.
Later on he or she progresses and develop nose symptoms (allergic rhinitis) and finally asthma appears.
Clear Figures
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- 1/3 of every rhinitis patients suffer asthma as well
- … and most asthma patients show rhinitis (60% of them)
- 1 out of 4 uncontrolled asthmatics have severe rhinitis
- allergy is the cause of more than 80% of asthmatics
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The Causes
Allergy is a defense sysem fight against external harmless substances.
Exposure to these substances (known as allergens) may lead to a change both in upper (rhinoconjunctivitis) and lower airways (bronchial asthma).
The basic damage is the allergic inflammation of the airway. During the asthma attack, the bronchii show acute inflammation, and the nose mucosa is also inflammated in allergic rhinitis patients.
This is known as the «one aiway, one disease» premise.
It is therefore recommended to have an integral vision and an unified treatment both with rhinitis and asthma, because the patient is unique.
It is advisable an early diagnose and control of the allergic rhinitis to prevent the developtment of the disease towards asthma.
