RESUMEN
BACKGROUND: The prevalence of asthma in Mexico is of 12% in the general population. Allergic illnesses diminish the quality of life and increase the costs of health services. In our country there is a lack of information about asthma and the concomitant presence of other allergic diseases in adults. OBJECTIVE: To identify the association of asthma with other allergic illnesses in adults. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Patients of the Allergy and Clinical Immunology Service diagnosed with allergic asthma, according to GINA, were included. The studied variables were: age, sex, and the presence of concomitant illnesses, doing a descriptive statistic analysis. RESULTS: 100 allergic asthmatic patients were included, 69% corresponded to female and 31% to male. The association with allergic illnesses was as follows: rhinitis 92%, conjunctivitis 33% and atopic dermatitis 5%. In 13% it was associated to sinusitis, which is considered an infectious illness. CONCLUSIONS: Asthma has an important association with allergic diseases, especially rhinitis. The female group, as well as the age group between the third and fourth decades of the life, were the most affected. It is important to identify the relationship between asthma and other allergenic entities in order to establish a specific treatment, to diminish medical attention costs and to improve the quality of life of the patients.
