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Asthma and Allergies Go Hand In Hand
– Reported, Apr 02, 2013
(Ivanhoe Newswire) With the number of allergy and asthma sufferers on the rise, more and more people are finding it harder to breathe easy. Making the issue even more complex is that many people suffer from both allergies and asthma. In fact, a recent study found 65% to 75% of adults with asthma also have an allergy, suggesting a significant link between the two conditions.
Allergists have known the prevalence of allergies among asthmatic children is high at 60 to 80 percent, but it was thought allergies were not as common in asthmatic adults, lead study author and allergist Paula Busse, M.D., was quoted as saying.
For the study, researchers looked at 2,573 adults who participated in a National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey. After identifying the adults with asthma, a panel of 19 allergens was used to discover any allergies the asthmatics had.
Out of the asthmatic adults between 20 and 40 years old, 75% were found to have at least one allergy. 65% of older asthmatics, those over the age of 55, also had an allergy.
Although asthma is more commonly thought of as striking children, the percentage of adults with the ailment continues to grow, as does the percentage of individuals with allergies. What is causing more people to have allergies?
Other factors, such as the hygiene hypothesis, climate change and an increase in awareness and education can also be reasons for this growth, allergist Richard Weber, M.D., ACAAI president, was quoted as saying.
Asthma combined with allergies could cause some serious discomfort this spring season, so anyone suffering from the ailments should seek out an allergist who can help with both.
SOURCE: Annals of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology April, 2013