[A new approach to the treatment of patients presenting with bronchial asthma and concomitant allergic rhinitis].

ABSTRACT

The present study included 73 patients presenting with bronchial asthma (BA) and concomitant allergic rhinitis (AR). Based on the results of their examination, a program of their two-step treatment was proposed including elimination therapy during 5-7 days followed by the combined treatment with the use of physical factors, such as peloid therapy, supratonal frequency currents, inhalations, massage, and remedial gymnastics. This approach allows to significantly reduce the frequency of clinical manifestations of the primary and concomitant diseases. Specifically, the incidence of daytime choking fits decreased by 66.7%, coughing by 76.7%, nasal stiffness by 60%, and rhinorrhea by 62,6 with the simultaneous acceleration of the overall clinical effect by 3-4 days. The requirement for short-acting broncholytic agents decreased after the treatment by 56.7%. Its anti-inflammatory effect in the upper and lower respiratory tract was confirmed by the results of endoscopic examination of the nasal cavity (the occurrence of mucosal hyperemia and mucosal oedema decreased by 70% and 60% respectively whereas the presence of secretion in the nasal passages was recorded 76.7% less frequently than prior to the treatment). Cytological studies of surface epithelium revealed reduced neutrophilia and eosinophilia, decreased number of goblet cells in nasal mucosa, and lowered content of sialic acids, IL-1, and IL-6 in nasal lavage. Combined therapy improved the patency of both upper and lower respiratory tract. Moreover, the number of patients with the totally controlled clinical course of BA increased by 66.6%. It was shown that remission of BA and AR persisted within 10 and 8.2 months after the treatment respectively.