The nose is on top and the lungs are on the bottom; some people compare the nose to the ceiling and the lungs to the floor; the ceiling leaks and the floor can never be swept clean.
Of course, this is a not very appropriate analogy. In fact, allergic rhinitis and bronchial asthma are the same kind of disease, the same allergic reaction disease, just like the most classic description of the two diseases by the World Health Organization (WHO): One airway, One disease (the same airway, the same disease). Zhou Haoquan, Department of Pediatrics, Anhui Provincial Hospital
For patients with bronchial asthma who are accompanied by allergic rhinitis, it is important to treat the allergic rhinitis at the same time as the asthma.
Since it is an allergic disease, we must understand what we are allergic to, which requires us to check for allergens. The most classic method of checking for allergens is currently the skin prick method. But the skin prick method should be done only after the age of four. Because the age is too young, systemic adverse reactions must occur. At the very beginning, it is difficult for the child to say what he or she feels abnormally, and when obvious symptoms, especially anaphylaxis, appear, the treatment is rather late.
Some allergens are clearly identified, and some can be desensitized, such as dust mites. Nowadays, there are two methods of desensitization: subcutaneous injection and sublingual administration. Subcutaneous injections are effective, but are prone to more serious adverse reactions and cost more; sublingual administration is relatively safe and inexpensive, but less effective. In case of clear house dust mite allergy, we still advocate subcutaneous injection. Subcutaneous injections are suitable for children 5 years and older.
Since desensitization treatment has some risks, doctors will take some professional measures to defuse the risks before and after treatment.
Our pediatric department at Anhui Provincial Hospital has done dozens of cases of subcutaneous injection desensitization treatment since May 2008 without a single case of serious adverse reaction.