The relationship between asthma and respiratory tract infections

  Studies have shown that viruses predominate among respiratory infections and that viral infections are a major factor in causing allergic inflammation of the airways and thus are a major trigger of asthma attacks, especially in pediatric patients. Viral infections can not only cause infectious inflammation of the airways but also promote the development of allergic inflammation of the airways. Although bacterial infections do not play a major role in asthma attacks, when combined with bacterial infections, they can also induce airway inflammation, trigger airway smooth muscle spasm, and worsen asthma attacks, especially in adults. Many patients with asthma tend to have a combined allergy to some antibiotics, thus bringing some complexity to the treatment of bacterial infections and asthma attacks. Bacterial sinusitis can also trigger asthma attacks, especially in those with nasal polyps, which are more likely to cause wheezing.  Patients with asthma often have similar experiences, and as the disease progresses, infection plays an increasing role in acute asthma attacks, especially in middle-aged and older asthmatic patients. This has led to the mindset of some patients that when cold symptoms such as runny nose, stuffy nose and some bronchitis symptoms such as cough appear, they should immediately apply antibiotics such as amoxicillin, cephalosporin, etc., or even infusions and hanging fluids. It is true that in real life you can see such cases, after a few days of anti-inflammatory infusion, the asthma condition improves. This is because many times respiratory infections are the triggers of asthma attacks, and the use of anti-inflammatory drugs can effectively get rid of these triggers, while many asthma has the characteristic of self-remission.  It is worth noting that a large proportion of asthma patients have a combination of allergic rhinitis, and rhinitis attacks are often characterized by “cold”-like nasal congestion and runny nose. Some patients often mistakenly think they have a cold, but use some anti-inflammatory drugs, cold medicine, but the symptoms are aggravated. Therefore, patients should keep in mind that when the symptoms of runny nose and sneezing last for more than 1 week, it is not a cold in the traditional sense, and further medical attention is needed to clarify whether there is a comorbidity such as allergic rhinitis. In case of rhinitis attack, it is necessary to use appropriate local nasal medication or anti-allergy medication, etc. Most asthma patients have allergic rhinitis symptoms before the asthma attack, and early control of rhinitis can also effectively control the asthma attack.