title: [A questionnaire survey of asthma in children with co-morbid allergic rhinitis].
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Bronchial asthma is often complicated with allergic rhinitis (AR).
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To investigate the relationship between the upper and lower airway diseases in children with asthma, we performed a questionnaire survey at 6 centers in Kinki area in Japan.
  
  
  METHODS
  A questionnaire was filled out by parents of 333 asthmatic children (0-16 years, median age 7). It included questions concerning nasal symptoms, onset ages of rhinitis and asthma, correlation between nasal symptoms and asthma symptoms, and family history of allergic diseases.
  
  
  RESULTS
  One hundred and fifty five (46.5%) subjects answered to have any nasal diseases; 20 with sinusitis, 46 with seasonal AR, and 119 (35.7%) with perennial AR. To further clarify the relationship of asthma and concomitant AR, we focused on patients with perennial AR and compared the clinical characteristics with patients with no nasal diseases. Percentage of non-atopic asthma was significantly lower in patients with comorbid AR than those without. Severity of asthma tended to be milder and family history of perennial AR was more often in the former than the latter group. Interestingly, asthmatic children with comorbid AR were more likely to have cold air-induced asthma exacerbations. In the subjects with comorbid AR, concomitant exacerbation of the upper and lower airways occurred in 38.7%. The median age of onset of asthma and nasal symptoms was 2 and 4 years, respectively. In 43.9% of them, upper airway symptoms started either before or simultaneously with asthma.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The attention should be paid to the nasal symptoms in children with asthma, especially they have atopic asthma and positive family history of perennial allergic rhinitis. It is important that an appropriate diagnosis and treatment of nasal symptoms to better control asthma in children.
authors.affiliation: Department of Otorhinolaryngology, National Mie Hospital.
authors.forename: Sawako
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Masuda
authors.forename: Takao
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Fujisawa
authors.forename: Kosei
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Iguchi
authors.forename: Jun
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Atsuta
authors.forename: Mitsuhiko
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Nambu
authors.forename: Yutaka
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Suehiro
authors.forename: Saori
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Kamesaki
authors.forename: Hajime
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Katsumata
authors.forename: Yukiko
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Noma
authors.forename: Hisashi
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Nishimori
authors.forename: Yuji
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Toda
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D001249:Asthma / Q000150:complications*; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D008297:Male; D012221:Rhinitis, Allergic, Perennial / Q000150:complications*; D006255:Rhinitis, Allergic, Seasonal / Q000150:complications*; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires