Allergy medicine and asthma

The nose and lungs form one connected airway. Exposure to pollen, dust mites, mould or animals can inflame the nose and may also trigger coughing, wheezing or chest tightness in a person with allergic asthma. Treating allergic rhinitis can improve nasal comfort and reduce an avoidable trigger burden.

Antihistamines mainly block histamine-related itching, sneezing and watery discharge. They do not rapidly open narrowed lower airways. A nasal corticosteroid acts in the nose, whereas asthma inhalers are selected to treat inflammation or narrowing in the lungs.

Continue asthma medicines according to your written action plan and check inhaler technique at clinical reviews. Tell the prescriber when breathing symptoms follow a particular allergen, season or setting. This can guide trigger control and a review of both nasal and lung treatment.

Read the active ingredients in non-prescription products. Sedating antihistamines may impair alertness, while combination remedies can contain decongestants or cough suppressants that need separate consideration. If a new medicine seems to worsen breathing, stop self-treatment and seek prompt professional advice.

Follow your asthma action plan when cough, wheeze, breathlessness or chest tightness increases. Seek urgent care if the reliever is not helping as expected, breathing makes speaking or walking difficult, the lips look blue or grey, you become drowsy, or symptoms are deteriorating quickly.

Ask whether allergic rhinitis is affecting asthma control, which allergy formulation suits your other medicines, whether you need updated inhaler training, and what changes in symptoms should activate each part of your asthma action plan.