Asthma and Allergy: Common Questions
The overlap between allergic disease and asthma control.
Last revised
Asthma and Allergy: the questions people actually ask, answered from published guidance.
Key takeaways
- Common allergic triggers: pollen, house dust mite, animal dander, mould
- Treating allergic rhinitis: can improve asthma control
- Most useful single change: Treat nasal allergy as part of managing asthma.
- Commonest mistake: Stopping the preventer when symptoms settle.
- See a doctor if any of the signs under "When to get help" below apply to you.
What is Asthma and Allergy?
The overlap between allergic disease and asthma control.
Why does it matter?
Allergic triggers are among the commonest reasons asthma control deteriorates, and treating the nose often improves the chest.
Common allergic triggers for Asthma and Allergy?
Pollen, house dust mite, animal dander, mould.
Treating allergic rhinitis for Asthma and Allergy?
Can improve asthma control.
Marker of poor control for Asthma and Allergy?
Needing a reliever 3 or more times a week.
NSAIDs and beta blockers for Asthma and Allergy?
Can trigger attacks in susceptible people.
What is the single most useful thing to do?
Treat nasal allergy as part of managing asthma.
What is the most common mistake?
Stopping the preventer when symptoms settle.
When should I see a doctor?
Call 999 if the reliever inhaler is not helping, if you are too breathless to speak in full sentences, if lips or fingers look blue, or if you are struggling to breathe. Contact a GP urgently for increasing reliever use, night waking or a falling peak flow. Always seek review after an attack.
Where to go next
- A Working Checklist for Asthma and Allergy
- What People Get Wrong About Asthma and Allergy
- Asthma and Allergy — the reference entry
- Eczema and Allergy: What Published Guidance Supports
- What the Guidance Really Says About House Dust Mite
When to get help
Call 999 if the reliever inhaler is not helping, if you are too breathless to speak in full sentences, if lips or fingers look blue, or if you are struggling to breathe. Contact a GP urgently for increasing reliever use, night waking or a falling peak flow. Always seek review after an attack.
Where this comes from
- NICE — Asthma: diagnosis, monitoring and management
- Asthma + Lung UK — triggers
How this page was put together
Every figure, recommendation and warning above is taken from the guidance named in Where this comes from. Nothing on this page is inferred, summarised or generalised beyond what those bodies publish: where they give a number, it is their number, and where they are silent, so are we. Pages are rebuilt whenever the underlying record changes. Sign-off by a named clinician, where it has happened, is shown at the top of the page along with the date.
Medical disclaimer
This article is general information, not medical advice. It cannot account for your own history, medication or circumstances. Always speak to a GP, pharmacist or another qualified health professional before making changes that affect your treatment, and never delay seeking medical advice because of something you have read here. In an emergency, call 999.
