Rhinitis and Asthma

ALTHOUGH both rhinitis and asthma can occur without a recognized allergic mechanism, IgE-mediated inflammation should be a major consideration in the differential diagnosis of both entities. It is estimated that 40 million Americans have asthma and other allergic diseases. Other figures compiled by the National Center for Health Statistics underscore the magnitude of this health burden. For example, approximately 9% of all patients seeking medical care at a physician's office do so for one of the common allergic diseases. Furthermore, among chronic illnesses of childhood, asthma is the most frequent cause of school absenteeism. Of the 40 million Americans with allergic disease, an estimated 8.9 million suffer from asthma with or without hay fever, 25 to 30 million have hay fever alone, and 11.8 million have other allergic manifestations such as eczema, urticaria, angioedema, or food, drug, or insect hypersensitivity. Thus, medical students and house officers should familiarize themselves early