Allergic rhinitis and co-morbidities

BACKGROUND: Antihistamines are often used to treat pruritus associated with atopic dermatitis (AD) despite lack of evidence for their efficacy. The American Academy of Dermatology does not recommend the general use of antihistamines in the management of AD, although the value of short-term sedating antihistamine use for insomnia secondary to itch is recognized. OBJECTIVE: To assess the use of sedating and nonsedating antihistamines for AD in 2003-2012. METHODS: The National Ambulatory Medical Care Survey provided data on physician visits in 2003-2012...

Although omalizumab (anti-IgE) is currently only approved for the treatment of asthma and chronic idiopathic urticaria, it has also been studied as an off-label treatment for numerous allergic conditions, including use as an adjunct to allergen immunotherapy in the treatment of allergic rhinitis, asthma, venom hypersensitivity and food allergy. We conducted a review of publications involving the use of omalizumab with allergen immunotherapy, by searching PubMed with key search terms of "omalizumab" and "immunotherapy...

Background: Studies have shown that poor shelter or dwelling conditions may lead to deteriorations in health. Those with asthma may be more susceptible to compromised living conditions and stress leading to a higher risk of asthma exacerbations. To describe the asthma control and quality of life of individuals with diagnosed asthma living in a shelter in Damascus, Syria and estimate the prevalence of respiratory symptoms in shelter dwellers without diagnosed asthma. Methods: In this cross-sectional study, all individuals 5 years and older living in Al-Herjalleh shelter with diagnosed asthma were recruited to complete a questionnaire, which included items related to their respiratory symptoms, asthma exacerbations, exposure to asthma triggers, medication use, and health-related quality of life before and since entering the shelter...

OBJECTIVE: To explore the clinical characteristics of the co-morbidity of vasovagal syncope (VVS) and postural tachycardia syndrome (POTS) with allergic diseases in children. METHODS: A re-trospective analysis was launched to summarize the clinical data of children with VVS and POTS. They were divided into allergic group and non-allergic group according to the history of allergic diseases. The participants' clinical characteristics were compared between allergic group and non-allergic group using independent sample t test or rank sum test; composition comparisons were completed by Chi-square test...

Severe asthma is a complex heterogeneous disease that is refractory to standard treatment and is complicated by multiple co-morbidities and risk factors. Several co-morbidities may contribute to worsen asthma control and complicate diagnostic and therapeutic management of severe asthmatic patients. Areas covered: A prevalent cluster of chronic upper airway co-morbid diseases is recognized in severe asthma. Evaluation for these disorders should always be considered in clinical practice. The aim of this review is to provide an updated overview of the prevalence, the pathogenetic mechanisms, the clinical impact and the therapeutic options for upper airway pathology in severe asthma, focusing on chronic rhinosinusitis and allergic rhinitis...

Allergic diseases are common and frequently coexist. Allergen immunotherapy (AIT) is a disease-modifying treatment for IgE-mediated allergic disease with effects beyond cessation of AIT that may include important preventive effects. The European Academy of Allergy and Clinical Immunology (EAACI) has developed a clinical practice guideline to provide evidence-based recommendations for AIT for the prevention of (i) development of allergic comorbidities in those with established allergic diseases, (ii) development of first allergic condition, and (iii) allergic sensitization...

Allergic rhinitis (AR) is associated with various developmental issues that affecting dentition. We aimed to determine whether AR is associated with an increased risk of traumatic dental injuries (TDIs) in Taiwanese individuals. We used the Taiwan National Health Insurance Research Database (NHIRD) to conduct a nested case-control study. We compared an AR cohort with a matched cohort of patients without AR. New TDI cases were determined during our study period. To compare TDI risk between our study cohorts, we used Cox proportional regression analysis, and hazard ratios (HR) with 95% confidence intervals (CI) were calculated to quantify the association between AR exposure and TDI risk...

BACKGROUND: Household animal dander has been implicated as aeroallergen in childhood atopic diseases. Many parents seek healthcare advice if household pet keeping may be detrimental in atopic eczema (AE) and atopies. AIM: We investigated if skin sensitization by cat/dog dander was associated with disease severity and quality of life in children with AE. METHODS: Demographics, skin prick test (SPT) results, disease severity (Nottingham eczema severity score NESS), Children Dermatology Life Quality Index (CDLQI), blood IgE and eosinophil counts of a cohort of AE patients were reviewed...

Study objectives: To analyze the prevalence of sleep problems in subjects with Chronic rhinosinusitis (CRS) and to determine whether the disease severity of CRS affects sleep quality. Methods: Questionnaires were sent to a random sample of 45 000 adults in four Swedish cities. Questions on CRS, asthma, allergic rhinitis, co-morbidities, tobacco use, educational level, and physical activity were included. CRS was defined according to the European Position Paper on Rhinosinusitis and Nasal Polyps (EPOS) epidemiological criteria...

Patients with severe asthma represent a minority of the total asthma population, but carry a majority of the morbidity and healthcare costs. Achieving better asthma control in this group of patients is therefore of key importance. Systematic assessment of patients with possible severe asthma to identify treatment barriers and triggers of asthma symptoms, including co-morbidities, improves asthma control and reduces healthcare costs and is recommended by international guidelines on management of severe asthma...

The relationship between allergic rhinitis and asthma is now established, and most of the clinical, epidemiological and biological data recommend integrated management. This review discusses rhinosinusitis as a co-morbid condition, a precipitating or triggering condition, and an epiphenomenon as an integrated part of the disease. A better understanding and a more pragmatic method of diagnosis and management is needed using cost-effective long-term strategies. Allergic Rhinitis, though a non-life threatening disease, its pathogenesis reveals that Bronchial Asthma also develops by the same aetiopathogenesis...

BACKGROUND: Sleep disordered breathing (SDB) and sleep disturbances have been reported to be associated with allergic rhinitis and asthma. However, population-based studies of this issue in the elderly are rare. OBJECTIVE: To investigate the impact of self-reported rhinitis and asthma on sleep apnea and sleep quality using polysomnography in an elderly Korean population. METHODS: A total of 348 elderly subjects who underwent one-night polysomnography study among a randomly selected sample were enrolled...

STUDY OBJECTIVES: To analyse the prevalence of sleep problems in subjects with CRS and to determine whether the disease severity of CRS affects sleep quality. METHODS: Questionnaires were sent to a random sample of 45 000 adults in four Swedish cities. Questions on CRS, asthma, allergic rhinitis, co-morbidities, tobacco use, educational level and physical activity were included. CRS was defined according to the European Position Paper on Rhinosinusitis and Nasal Polyps (EPOS) epidemiological criteria...

BACKGROUND: There is limited data regarding co-morbidities and cognitive status of asthma during childhood and adolescence. The aim of the current study was to explore the presence of co-morbidities and cognitive status in a large cohort of teenagers with asthma. METHODS: The medical records of 314,897 consecutive 17-year-old males, undergoing comprehensive medical and cognitive evaluation prior to recruitment for military service, were reviewed. The prevalence of co-morbidities and a cognitive assessment in subjects with asthma were compared to those without asthma...

The aims of the current study were to assess the clinical features of allergic rhinitis (AR) in children in Shanghai. Serum-specific IgE (sIgE) tests were performed on samples from patients with AR symptoms from January 2011 to December 2014. A disease-related questionnaire was completed after AR diagnosis. The allergen profile and clinical features of AR were analyzed. In total, 2713 AR patients were enrolled in this study. Dermatophagoides pteronyssinus was found to be the most common offending allergen in the study population...

BACKGROUND: Allergic rhinitis, a known risk factor for asthma onset, often accompanies mouth breathing. Mouth breathing may bypass the protective function of the nose and is anecdotally considered to increase asthma morbidity. However, there is no epidemiological evidence that mouth breathing is independently associated with asthma morbidity and sensitization to allergens. In this study, we aimed to clarify the association between mouth breathing and asthma morbidity and allergic/eosinophilic inflammation, while considering the effect of allergic rhinitis...

Medical conditions can impact sleep and breathing in children. Gastroesophageal reflux disease, allergic rhinitis and asthma are common in children and often coexist with obstructive sleep apnea. Appropriate identification and management of these conditions can improve nocturnal and diurnal symptoms of sleep disordered breathing. We discuss the relationship between these medical conditions and obstructive sleep apnea in children.

Histamine H1 receptor (H1R) antagonists and glucocorticoid receptor (GR) agonists are used to treat inflammatory conditions such as allergic rhinitis, atopic dermatitis and asthma. Consistent with the high morbidity levels of such inflammatory conditions, these receptors are the targets of a vast number of approved drugs, and in many situations their ligands are co-administered. However, this drug association has no clear rationale and has arisen from clinical practice. We hypothesized that H1R signaling could affect GR-mediated activity, impacting on its transcriptional outcome...

BACKGROUND: The affliction of allergic rhinitis (AR) has been trivialised in the past. Recent initiatives by the European Academy of Allergy & Clinical Immunology and by the EU parliament seek to rectify that situation. The aim of this study was to provide a comprehensive picture of the burden and unmet need of AR patients. METHODS: This was a cross-sectional, online, questionnaire-based study (June-July 2011) including symptomatic seasonal AR (SAR) patients (≥18 years) from a panel...

BACKGROUND: The respiratory allergies, including allergic rhinitis and allergic asthma, represent a substantial medical and economic burden worldwide. Despite their dimension and huge economic-social burden, no data are available on the costs associated with the management of respiratory allergic diseases in Italy. The objective of this study was to estimate the average annual cost incurred by the National Health Service (NHS), as well as society, due to respiratory allergies and their main co-morbidities in Italy...