Beyond making you miserable, you might wonder what allergies and asthma have in common. As it turns out, a lot. Together, allergies and asthma sometimes happen together.
Studies from around the world have shown that about 70-90 percent of asthma patients have concomitant rhinitis and 40-50 percent of allergic rhinitis patients have concomitant allergic asthma.
What is actually an Allergic Rhinitis?
Allergic rhinitis is an inflammation of the nose’s mucosal membrane. It is one of the most common conditions encountered in today’s life, causing sleep disturbance, irritability, exhaustion, decreased job efficiency, etc.
sneezing, scratching, rhinorrhea and nasal congestion are the most common symptoms of allergic rhinitis.
Allergic rhinitis is actually the product of the defence system of the body, i.e. the immune response that sends a alert signal if an alien invader is detected in the body.
An early response begins within a minute of exposure to allergen, while 4 to 8 hours after exposure, a late response occurs.
Something that causes an allergic reaction in our body is known as an allergen. Most of them generally do not cause any damage to our bodies. There are different allergens, such as,
- Food
- Smoke
- Dust
- Pollens
- Spores of plants and molds
- Insect venoms
- Animal dander
- Medications
- Changes in weather conditions like cold or hot.
How allergic reaction actually happen?
Normally, white blood cells (WBC) are activated by the components of the immune system in healthy individuals if the body detects a danger, and antibodies are produced to kill the particular threat.
But our protection mechanism misinterprets the harmless material as a hazard in the event of allergy and sets in an instant reaction that presents in the form of allergy.
The hypersensitive reaction of the immune system is thus an allergy. Usually, on first exposure to the allergen, the hypersensitive reaction does not occur.
B-lymphocytes, a type of white blood cell that results in the production of IgE antibodies, are triggered when re-exposure occurs.
The mast cells, another part of the immune system, are further activated and histamine and other inflammatory cytokines are released.
This histamine is responsible for various reactions in the body that manifest in various ways, such as:
- Sneezing
- Runny Noseor Stuffed Nose
- Itching
- Skin Rashes
- Wheezing
- Stomach pain and Diarrhoea
- In some severe cases, Difficulty in Breathing, Chest Tightness, and Anaphylaxis Occurs
The same substances that trigger your allergic rhinitis symptoms, such as pollen, dust mites and pet dander, may also cause asthma signs and symptoms. In many people, food and skin allergies may cause asthma symptoms. This is called allergic asthma or allergy-induced asthma.
How does an allergic reaction cause the symptoms of asthma?
An allergic reaction occurs when proteins (antibodies) of the immune system mistakenly recognise as an invader a harmless material, such as tree pollen. Antibodies bind to the allergen in an effort to safeguard your body from the drug.
Allergy signs and symptoms, such as nasal congestion, runny nose, itchy eyes or skin reactions, are caused by chemicals released by your immune system. For certain patients, this same reaction often affects the lungs and airways, resulting in signs of asthma.
Are asthma and allergies treated differently?
The majority of interventions are meant to treat either asthma or allergies. But in both conditions, a few therapies help. Only a few examples: Leukotriene Modifier, Montelukast can relieve the effects of both allergies and asthma. Montelukast combined with Fexofenadine helps control chemicals released from the immune system during an allergic reaction and also controls asthma.
Who’s at risk of allergic asthma?
A history of allergies in the family is a significant risk factor for allergic asthma.
Having your own hay fever or other allergies often raises your chances of developing asthma.
Is all asthma caused by allergies?
While allergic asthma is very common, with various kinds of triggers, there are other forms of asthma.
For certain persons, exercise, illnesses, cold weather, gastroesophageal reflux disease or stress may cause asthma. Many individuals have more than one kind of cause for asthma.
Get control of symptoms
Know the things that cause your symptoms of allergy and asthma and learn how to restrict your exposure to them.
Talk with your doctor to find the right medication for treating your symptoms and check in frequently with your doctor.
Because symptoms of allergies and asthma may change over time, you might need to modify your care accordingly.
References:
- https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/asthma/in-depth/allergies-and-asthma/art-20047458
- Int J Med Res Prof.2018 Jan; 4(1); 268-71.