Studies on the correlation between occurrence tune series and its severity in patients of bronchial asthma complicated with allergic rhinitis

Objective To investigate the correlation between occurrence time and condition severity in patients of bronchial asthma complicated with allergic rhinitis. Methods The 583 outpatients with asthma in an asthma clinic during 1996-2002 were divided into simple asthma group (Group Ⅰ with 292 cases) and asthma complicated with allergic rhinitis group (Group Ⅱ with 291 cases), and their data were compared and statistically analyzed. Results The proportion of those complicated with other diseases, e.g. , nasal polyp, sinusitis, atopic dermatitis, and with a history of allergy, e.g. , food allergy, drug allergy and positive skin allergic test, was significantly higher in the Group Ⅱ than that in the Group Ⅰ ( P 0.01). Incidence of triad (asthma-nasal polyp and aspirin-allergy) was 6.5% (19/291) in the Group Ⅱ, significantly higher than that in the Group Ⅰ (1.0% , 3/292). Regular rhinitis was common in the Group Ⅱ (62.2%) and 16.8% of seasonal rhinitis occurred in the fall (16.8%), and 55.7% of the patients received treatment for rhinitis with antihistamine drugs alone or combined use of antihistamine drugs and glucocorticoids. Allergic rhinitis occurred first and asthma occurred six years (72.4 months) later in average in 53.3% (155/291) of the patients of asthma complicated with allergic rhinitis. And, asthma occurred first and then allergic rhinitis occurred 8.1 years (96.9 months) in average later in them. Attack of rhinitis in 61.9% of the patients (180/291) aggravated their asthma, and control of rhinitis in 51.2% (149/291) of them alleviated their asthma symptoms. Conclusions There existed relationship, to certain extent, between the occurrence time series and the severity of the condition in patients of asthma complicated with allergic rhinitis, which suggested that allergic rhinitis and bronchial asthma could be the same kind of disease but manifest in different sites. Combined prevention and treatment for both asthma and allergic rhinitis are feasible.