Double airway challenge: hay fever and asthma

Snort and sniffle as soon as the sun starts to shine? Suffer from a blocked nose or sneezing fits in the spring and summer? Hay fever occurs in the spring and summer. If you suffer from this, it means that you are allergic to pollen. This pollen comes from flowering trees, grasses and plants. When these start to bloom, you can experience more problems with your airways. For people with asthma, this is an extra problem.

shortness of breath

Both hay fever and asthma are respiratory diseases in which the respiratory system reacts to certain particles that are inhaled. In hay fever, pollen from flowering plants and grasses causes a reaction in the upper respiratory tract, often leading to inflammation of the nasal mucous membranes and difficulty breathing through the nose. Although shortness of breath is less common in hay fever, it can still be a symptom.

People with asthma often experience inflammation and narrowing of the airways, which restricts airflow and causes tightness or shortness of breath. So, tightness can occur with both conditions, although it is more frequent and more intense with asthma.

If you have both asthma and hay fever, you are at a higher risk of asthma attacks compared to people who only have asthma. This is because pollen, which causes hay fever, can also trigger asthma attacks.

Hay fever and asthma go hand in hand

Hay fever, asthma, food allergies and eczema fall under the umbrella of atopic syndrome, meaning they often occur together in the same person. These conditions are usually hereditary and often start at a young age. The pattern in which they appear – first eczema and food allergies in childhood, followed by hay fever, and sometimes later asthma – is known as the allergic march. Fortunately, for many people, symptoms improve as they get older.

Hay fever and asthma are often linked. Many people with asthma, about eight out of ten, also experience allergic reactions such as hay fever. In addition, about forty percent of people with hay fever eventually develop asthma. When hay fever symptoms decrease, asthma symptoms often decrease as well. Conversely, well-controlled asthma can help reduce the allergic reaction to pollen, and therefore hay fever symptoms. In short, hay fever and asthma often influence each other.

No clear cause

Although it is not entirely clear why, we know that hay fever can worsen asthma attacks. Medical professionals also recognise this connection. That is why it is important to let your doctor know if you have hay fever in addition to asthma, and vice versa. This way your doctor can help and advise you better.