Asthma and other health conditions

If you have asthma, you can often have other allergies too.

• Allergic rhinitis is when the inside of your nose becomes inflamed by something you’re allergic to, such as pollen (hay fever), dust mites, pets or mould. Allergic rhinitis is very common and over 80% of people with asthma have it. If you have a blocked or runny nose, itchy eyes, a cough, a sore mouth, or sneeze a lot, it could be allergic rhinitis.
• Eczema is an allergic condition that causes dry, cracked and itchy skin. It is more common in children, but adults can also have it. You are more likely to have eczema if you have a family history of the condition or you have asthma.
• Some people with asthma also have food allergies.

See your GP, nurse or pharmacist if you think you may have an allergy. They can tell you if you need any allergy tests and recommend the best treatment for you.

How allergies affect your asthma

Allergies can make your asthma symptoms worse. This can increase your risk of an asthma attack. But there are things you can do to stay well and reduce your risk of asthma symptoms and asthma attacks.

Top tips to help you stay well

• Avoid the thing you are allergic to as much as possible.  
• Take your asthma medicines as prescribed to manage and treat asthma symptoms that are caused by allergies.
• Treat mild allergic reactions with antihistamines, steroid tablets, sprays and creams.
• Treat severe allergic reactions with an adrenaline auto-injector (such as an EpiPen) and call 999 immediately. 
• Use your asthma action plan to record your allergies or allergy triggers.

Sinusitis is where the passages (airways) in the nose become inflamed, causing redness and swelling. Sinusitis is common and is usually caused by a viral infection. It can also be a complication of allergic rhinitis.

Sinusitis is more likely for people with asthma. You may have: 

• facial pain
• a blocked or runny nose
• a reduced sense of smell
• green or yellow mucus from your nose
• a high temperature (38C or above)
• a headache
• toothache
• pressure in your ears
• bad breath.  

Young children may also have problems feeding and breathe through their mouth.  

Sinusitis usually goes away on its own within four weeks. But sometimes it can last three months or more.

Talk to your pharmacist, GP or nurse if you think you may have sinusitis. They can give you advice on how to treat it.

How sinusitis affects your asthma

Sinusitis can make your asthma symptoms, like breathlessness and coughing, worse. This can increase your risk of an asthma attack.

Top tips to help you stay well 

• Take your asthma medicines as prescribed to manage and treat your asthma symptoms. This can also help with your sinusitis symptoms.
• Avoid your allergy triggers as much as possible and treat them as advised by your healthcare professional.
• Stop smoking (if you smoke). We have information to help you quit.
• Add sinusitis to your asthma action plan and ask your pharmacist, GP or nurse how to treat it. 

Nasal polyps are small growths in the nose. They’re not serious or painful, but they can cause:

• a blocked or runny nose
• a poor sense of smell or taste
• postnasal drip (a feeling of mucus running down the back of your throat)
• snoring. 

It can sometimes feel like you have a cold that doesn’t go away. If the polyps block your sinuses (the air filled spaces in your nose), you may also have symptoms of sinusitis.  

Nasal polys are common in adults with asthma. They are rare in children.

Speak to your GP or nurse if you think you may have nasal polyps. They can recommend the best treatment for you.

How nasal polyps affect your asthma 

If you have asthma and nasal polyps, it can sometimes mean you have asthma that’s more difficult to manage and treat. You may also be at higher risk of an asthma attack.  

When your nose is blocked or runny, it can affect your breathing. This can irritate your airways and make them more inflamed.

You may need more asthma medicines to manage your asthma symptoms.

Top tips to help you stay well

• Take all your asthma medicines as prescribed to manage and treat your asthma symptoms.  
• Use a steroid nasal spray, drops or tablets to shrink the polyps and reduce your symptoms.  
• Ask your GP if your nasal polyps should be removed - some research suggests the removal of nasal polyps can lead to an improvement in asthma.
• Have an asthma review so your GP or nurse can make sure you’re on the right treatment plan.

Heartburn is when you get a burning feeling in your chest. It is caused by acid reflux. This is when stomach acid travels back up your food pipe. You may also:

• get a bad taste in your mouth
• have bad breath
• feel bloated or sick
• have difficulty swallowing

How OSA affects your asthma

Top tips to help you stay well

• Take all your asthma medicines as prescribed to manage and treat your asthma symptoms.
• Ask your GP or nurse about treatments for OSA.  
• Keep to a healthy weight and exercise regularly. You could try our keep active videos.  
• Have a good sleep routine and try sleeping on your side.
• Avoid smoking, drinking too much alcohol or sleeping tablets. 

Vocal cord dysfunction, which is also called Inducible laryngeal obstruction (ILO), is where the vocal cords (or voice box) don’t open properly, making it hard to breathe in. Research shows that 1 in 4 adults with asthma have ILO.

The symptoms of ILO are similar to asthma. You might have a cough, a tight chest or throat, or feel breathless or wheezy. You may also have a hoarse voice, noisy breathing or feel like you’re choking.  

The triggers for ILO and asthma are also similar, including exercise, stress, acid reflux, colds and viruses, and tobacco smoke. This can make it difficult for doctors to diagnose ILO and some people may be wrongly told they have asthma.  

Although the symptoms and triggers for asthma and ILO are similar, they are treated differently. Asthma medicines do not work for ILO so it’s important to get a correct diagnosis.  

If your asthma medicines are not improving your symptoms, speak to your GP or nurse to discuss if you may have ILO.  

How ILO affects your asthma

ILO can make your asthma symptoms worse because it tightens your airways and makes breathing more difficult. Your asthma triggers can also make your ILO worse.  

If you have asthma and ILO, it can be difficult to tell if your symptoms are because of your asthma, your ILO, or both. So, if you have asthma and ILO, it is important to manage both conditions well.   

Top tips to help you stay well

• Take your asthma medicines as prescribed to manage and treat your asthma symptoms.  
• Treat your ILO with speech therapy, relaxation exercises, and breathing techniques.
• Talk to your GP or nurse about your ILO at your asthma review.  Make sure you are clear what to do if you get ILO or asthma symptoms and note this on your asthma action plan.

How COPD affects your asthma

You’re more likely to have asthma symptoms, asthma attacks and need hospital care if you have asthma-COPD overlap syndrome compared to people who just have asthma or just have COPD.  

Top tips to help you stay well

• Manage your asthma and COPD well by taking your medicines as prescribed.  
• If you smoke, stopping is one of the best things you can go for your health. We have information to help you quit.
• Keep active and eat well. Ask your GP if you would benefit from pulmonary rehabilitation (PR).  
• Use a self-management plan so you know what to do if your symptoms get worse and have regular reviews with your GP or nurse to discuss your care.
• Have your flu vaccine every year, your coronavirus vaccines, and the pneumonia vaccine.  

Bronchiectasis is a long-term lung condition that affects the airways in your lungs. Common symptoms include a regular cough that brings up mucus, repeated chest infections, and breathlessness.  

Studies have found that around I in 3 people with asthma also have bronchiectasis. You are at higher risk of developing bronchiectasis if you have severe asthma or have asthma that is difficult to control.  

Speak to your GP or nurse if you have bronchiectasis symptoms, to make sure you get the right diagnosis and treatment. 

How bronchiectasis affects your asthma

Studies show that people with asthma and bronchiectasis are more likely to have asthma symptoms and asthma attacks and need hospital care than those with just asthma. This may be because bronchiectasis can cause your airways to become inflamed and infected.  

Top tips to help you stay well

• Manage your asthma and bronchiectasis well by taking your medicines as prescribed. If your symptoms get worse, talk to your healthcare professional who will take a sample of your phlegm and prescribe any treatments you need.  
• Stop smoking (if you smoke). We have information to help you quit.
• Ask for a referral to a physiotherapist for exercises and breathing techniques to help clear the mucus from your lungs. You may also benefit from pulmonary rehabilitation (PR).
• Keep active and eat well.
• Make sure you have a flu vaccine every year, your coronavirus vaccines, and the pneumonia vaccine. 

Living with a long-term health condition can affect your quality of life. You may feel tired, worried, frustrated or stressed.  

People with asthma, especially if they have severe asthma, are more likely to experience mental health conditions like depression and anxiety.

How depression and anxiety affect your asthma

Depression and anxiety can make it harder for you to manage your asthma and increase your risk of symptoms.

Top tips to help you stay well

• It’s important to speak to your GP or nurse if low mood or anxiety is affecting your daily life.
• We have advice to help you look after your mental health when you have a lung condition and information on where to get more support if you need it.   

If you are living with obesity (you’re very overweight), you are more likely to develop asthma than someone who is a healthy weight.

How obesity affects your asthma 

Being obese puts you at more risk of asthma symptoms and asthma attacks or needing to go to hospital for your asthma. This is because being obese can affect how well your lungs work.

Top tips to help you stay well

• The NHS has information and support to help you check if you’re a healthy weight. You can also talk to your GP or nurse.  
• The best way to lose weight is to eat a healthy diet and exercise regularly. Find out more about eating well with a lung condition and how to start exercising.

Allergic bronchopulmonary aspergillosis (ABPA) is a rare condition that affects the lungs. It is caused by an allergic reaction to aspergillus mould and affects around 2-5% of people with asthma.

We have more information about Aspergillosis. Speak to your GP or nurse if you think you may be allergic to aspergillus mould.

How ABPA affects your asthma

If you have asthma and ABPA, it can make your asthma symptoms worse. You may also cough up brown or bloody phlegm, feel tired, or have a temperature.

Top tips to help you stay well

• Taking your asthma medicines as prescribed can help to manage and treat ABPA.  
• You may also be prescribed antifungal medicines.  

Although more research is needed, some studies show that people with asthma can develop other health conditions because they have taken high-dose steroids for a long time.

This includes: 

• Type 2 diabetes – a common condition that causes the level of sugar in your blood to become too high.
• Osteoporosis – a common condition that makes your bones weaker and more likely to break.
• Addison’s disease – a rare condition when your body does not make enough of certain hormones