In asthma, allergic inflammation is the major underlying abnormality affecting the airways.¹  This inflammation leads to bronchial hyper responsiveness to triggers, including infections, allergens and non-specific irritants.      

Exposure to common aeroallergens such as house dust mite, animal dander, pollen or mould can initiate and maintain airway inflammation in most people with asthma.²

Asthma and allergy facts

Australia has the second highest prevalence of asthma in the world.  The reasons for this are unclear. However, it is known that:

• the prevalence of asthma in Australia is approximately one in four children, one in seven adolescents and one in ten adults^3,4
• the prevalence of asthma in Australia doubled between 1982 and 1992.⁵

There is a strong link between asthma and allergy:

• around 40 per cent of Australians have allergic disease³
• more than 80 per cent of people with asthma have evidence of allergic sensitisation⁶
• early childhood asthma is associated with sensitisation to environmental allergens in many but not all cases
• the level of early childhood exposure to indoor allergens correlates with allergen sensitisation^7,8
• sensitisation to a greater number of allergens is associated with an increased prevalence of asthma.^{9 <LE IV>}

Content Updated March 2005