MedWire News: Most people with asthma also experience allergic rhinitis (hayfever) symptoms, results of a UK survey show.

The results add to growing evidence of a link between asthma and allergic rhinitis, says Asthma UK, which conducted the survey.

Researchers from the organisation asked 1235 asthma patients whether they suffered from hayfever symptoms, such as watery eyes, sneezing and a runny nose, and, if so, how often they suffered from such symptoms.

In total, 67% of respondents said that they experienced hayfever symptoms. Of these, 84% reported that hayfever symptoms were most severe during the spring or summer months when pollen counts are high.

However, 20% of respondents said that they experienced hayfever symptoms all year round, indicating that they had a form of hayfever called perennial allergic rhinitis.

Previous research has suggested that allergic rhinitis is very common among asthma patients, and that the presence of the condition is associated with an increased risk of asthma attacks and emergency hospital admissions, says Asthma UK.

However, 65% of respondents in the current survey reported that their doctor, nurse or pharmacist had had never discussed the impact of allergic rhinitis on asthma control.

Commenting on the survey results, Dr John Haughney, president of the International Primary Care Respiratory Group, said: "This survey highlights the impact that co-morbid [co-occurring] conditions can have on asthma and the important role that healthcare professionals can play in monitoring and treating upper airway symptoms, particularly in those patients where asthma is not adequately controlled."

He added: "The results support the recommendations of the World Health Organization 'ARIA' guideline, which says that clinicians should always look for evidence of allergic rhinitis in people with asthma, and that treating both upper and lower airways inflammation is likely to produce better results for the patient."