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

A comprehensive approach to asthma management includes: 

• identification of relevant allergen triggers
• allergen avoidance measures where appropriate and possible
• appropriate medication
• specific allergen immunotherapy (SIT) where indicated.

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]}