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Asthma is generally divided into two types: allergic and non-allergic.
In allergic asthma, allergic sensitivities play a central role
in disease onset and severity; patients have a history of atopic
illness, and asthma attacks are triggered by environmental
allergens (such as dust mites or mold). Some 60% of patients with asthma are estimated to have allergic asthma.1,2
Experts have found that children with early allergic sensitivities
often go on to develop asthma.3,4 Allergic
rhinitis (AR) often precedes the development of asthma, and
the two conditions commonly co-exist.5,6
As a result, experts increasingly support the "one airway"
theory, which holds that a common inflammatory process links
upper and lower airways.7
Allergic Rhinitis and its Impact on Asthma, an international
non-governmental organization sponsored by the World Health
Organization, has advised that persons with asthma be evaluated
for signs and symptoms of persistent
AR and vice versa.8
Allergic asthma facts and figures
-
In the US, more than 20 million people have asthma9
-
60% of those with asthma suffer specifically from allergic
asthma1,2
-
90% of children with asthma also have established
allergies10
-
Approximately 40% of infants who have
atopic dermatitis may develop asthma by the age of 3 to
4 years3
- Estimates of asthma sufferers with concomitant
AR range from 60% to 99%5,6
Allergic vs. non-allergic: a key to asthma management
Effective management of asthma requires accurate identification
and management of symptom triggers, as well as medications to
control symptoms.11,12 Because
such a large proportion
of asthma patients has allergic disease,1,2 accurate
trigger identification necessitates the determination of the
patient’s
atopic status. While many asthma medications are used in both allergic and non-allergic
disease, certain therapies may be used to specifically target the allergic process
(such as non-sedating antihistamines for concomitant AR8).
To help aid your efforts, the Managing
Asthma section of this Web site offers useful information, including guidelines
from the National Asthma Education and Prevention Program (published by the National
Institutes of Health, National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute). |
