The Link Between Asthma And Rhinitis

In medicine, the link between asthma and rhinitis has been known for a long time. It’s not uncommon for an asthmatic patient to get runny nose symptoms in the spring and vice versa, but what’s the connection between the two? According to some researchers, it is related to the immune system; others argue that it is due to the airway mucosa, which is divided between the bronchi and the nose.

What is a runny nose?

Rhinitis is an inflammation of the nasal mucosa. It can react to various etiological substances, but the end result is always an increase in its size due to the accumulation of fluids and inflammatory cells, all based on an external substance or an internal stimulus.

The rhinitis can be either contagious or non-contagious. In the first case, the microorganism invades the nose and infects it; it can be either a virus or a bacterium. The body responds to colonization and triggers a defense mechanism to repel the invading organism. This is called inflammation.

The most common non-infectious rhinitis is some form of allergy that is more common in asthmatics. An external factor, not a virus or bacteria, is a particle that the immune system recognizes as foreign, so it turns against it. Pollen is a common cause of allergies.

What is asthma?

Bronchial asthma is an inflammation of the bronchial mucosa associated with bronchial hyperreactivity. This means that the airways close abruptly and block normal airflow due to the inflammatory process.

This condition is on the list of obstructive and chronic respiratory diseases. It develops in the form of acute episodes over the long term. Certain causes, such as colds or infections, are more common in winter. Winter is often a difficult time for asthmatics.

Doctors usually diagnose asthma at an early age. These children either experience asthma attacks during physical performance or when the temperature drops. First, the doctor treats them with bronchodilators to assess their condition. If the seizure recurs, they diagnose asthma.

The degree of severity is not always the same and its development is not linear. So there are people with mild illness and they only get a seizure once a year, while others experience almost constant shortness of breath.

The link between asthma and rhinitis: causes

There are many different explanations for why asthma patients often suffer from runny nose. Estimates show that up to 75% of them go through inflammation of the nasal mucosa. In contrast, those diagnosed with rhinitis have asthma attacks in about 40 percent of cases. Let’s explore some theories behind this connection.

Air conditioning

One explanation for why rhinitis patients also have asthma is the lack of adequate flow through the nose. Due to mucositis, patients have to breathe through the mouth. It prevents humidification and heating of the air.

So when cold, dry air reaches the bronchi, the airways tend to contract because such flow is known to be harmful. Several scientific studies show that bronchoconstriction increases in the cold, for example during winter sports and winter.

The mucous membranes are connected to each other

Studies have shown an association between respiratory mucosa. It is likely that bronchial cells will react if a person gets allergens in their nose. In contrast, nasal mucosa overcompensates as the lower airway narrows.

Some of the body’s reactions are due to nerve communication and vascular reactivity. This appears to be behind exercise-induced asthma due to the release of adrenaline and noradrenaline.

These mediators combine runny nose and asthma by causing blood vessels to constrict. Contraction reduces the blood flow to the airway mucosa and the ability to react to external factors.

Immune system, rhinitis and asthma

Eosinophils are white blood cells. They play a very special role in allergic reactions in the body. In fact, researchers have found out their role in the treatment of rhinitis and asthma as well.

All of these diseases have similar mechanisms of action, so it is reasonable to assume that they activate the body’s defense system in the same way and that an increase in their number is key.

The causes of inflammation are also not static, but move through the circulatory system. Thus, they can move from the nose to the bronchi.

Rhinitis and asthma: similar but different

We can explain the connection between rhinitis and asthma with many different theories, but that doesn’t mean they are the same thing. The drugs used for treatment are similar, although the approach is different.

It is imperative that doctors be able to distinguish between them so that they can prescribe the right form of treatment. In any case, asthmatic patients need to learn to manage runny nose crises because they tend to suffer more from them.