In addition to producing chronic respiratory problems, allergy interferes with normal growth and development, may cause physical disability and poses substantial social and economic burdens, the latter of which has been estimated in the U.S. to exceed $4.5 billion a year for rhinitis alone.*
More importantly, early diagnosis and treatment of allergy has been shown to modify the course of the disease and prevent subsequent development of other conditions such as asthma. The Expert Panel Report 2 funded by the National Institutes of Health, states that the presence of an allergic reaction is the strongest identifiable predisposing factor for the development of asthma. Other researchers have theorized that allergic reactions at a young age result in a state of chronic airway inflammation, which increases the child's susceptibility to nasal and ear infections. Chronic allergy-mediated inflammation and associated infections can cause physical effects that can ultimately lead to asthma.
* Source: American Academy of Family Physicians, 2003.
|
|
