In this Article

• Unusual symptoms of asthma
• Can a cough without wheezing be due to asthma?
• Nocturnal asthma
• Masqueraders of asthma
• Cardiac asthma
• Other bronchial conditions
• Vocal cord dysfunction (VCD)
• Other hypersensitivity reactions
• Exercise and sports
• Exercise induced asthma (EIA)
• What causes exercise induced asthma?
• What sports are best suited for exercise induced asthma? What sports are not?
• Ways to prevent and treat exercise induced asthma
• Conditions that may worsen asthma
• Gastroesophageal reflex disease
• The allergic rhinitis-asthma connection
• Sinusitis and asthma
• Air pollution
• Food allergy
• Asthma Complexities At A Glance
• Asthma Complexities Glossary
• Asthma Complexities Index

The allergic rhinitis-asthma connection

There is a clear association between allergic rhinitis (hay fever) and asthma. The question of which comes first -- the allergic rhinitis or the asthma -- is not easily answered. Many patients recall developing their asthma and nasal symptoms at or about the same time. Others developed their asthma either before or after the onset of their allergic rhinitis. We now know that almost all patients with allergic asthma also have allergic rhinitis. Additionally, roughly one-third of people with allergic rhinitis will develop asthma. Patients with both conditions can expect to suffer more severe asthmatic attacks and require stronger medications to treat their asthma. Patients with allergic rhinitis should be vigilant about reporting any persistent coughing or wheezing to their doctors. The presence of asthma can easily be determined with pulmonary function tests.

The following are possible reasons why allergic rhinitis and asthma are related:

• The nasal and bronchial membranes are made up of almost the same type of tissue.



• The nerves of the upper airway (nasal cavity) and the lower airway (bronchial tubes) are connected. Both the upper and lower airways are exposed to the same external environment during breathing. When allergens reach the nasal cavity, there is stimulation of nerve endings in the nasal cavity. This stimulation causes reflex neural signals to be sent to the tissues of both the nasal cavity and the lower airways. In the nasal cavity, these signals cause accumulation of fluid and the formation of mucus, while in the bronchial tubes they cause bronchial constriction and possibly acute asthma. This is sometimes referred to as the naso-bronchial reflex.



• Nasal congestion causes mouth breathing. During mouth breathing, air bypasses the nose. It is not filtered for allergens and irritating particles, and it is not warmed or humidified. This non-conditioned air is more likely to cause bronchial hyperreactivity and produce asthma symptoms.



• Mucus from the nasal cavity may drip from the back of the nose into the bronchial tubes, especially during sleep. This dripping mucus increases bronchial inflammation and causes episodes of asthma at night.

Suggested Reading by Our Doctors

• albuterol, Ventolin, Proventil, AccuNeb, Vospire, ProAir - Specifies the medication albuterol (Ventolin, Proventil, AccuNeb, Vospire, ProAir) a drug used in for the treatment of asthma, emphysema, anc chronic broncitis. Albuterol relieves and prevents of airway obstruction (bronchospasm) in patients with asthma and in patients with exercise-induced asthma. Article includes descriptions, uses, drug interactions, and side effects.
• Chest X-ray - A chest x-ray is a radiology test that involves exposing the chest briefly to radiation to produce an image of the chest and the internal organs of the chest. chest x-ray can be used to define abnormalities of the lungs such as excessive fluid, pneumonia, bronchitis, asthma, cysts, and cancers.
• Sinus Infection - Learn about sinus infections and inflammation of the sinuses (also known as sinusitis) with information written by doctors for patients. Includes causes, symptoms, diagnosis, and complications of sinus infection.

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