Hi, thank you for your question. When 2 chronic illnesses or diseases exist in someone at the same time, they are known as “comorbid conditions”. Asthma, eczema, food
allergies and hayfever are allergic or atopic conditions. If someone has one of these conditions, they are at an increased likelihood of developing another allergic condition.

If a child is born into a family with history of atopic conditions, they are also at increased risk. Asthma is an atopic condtion that causes the airway to become inflamed, swollen, narrow and produces extra mucus. Narrowing of airways lead to symptoms such as shortness of breath, chest tightness, wheezing and coughing.

Asthma is usually discovered in childhood and can be a lifetime issue. Some people only develop asthma in certain situations, such as allergy-induced asthma, exercise-induced asthma and occupational asthma.

Eczema (atopic dermatitis) is an inflammatory skin condition that causes symptoms such as itching, scaly rashes, dry and thickened skin, redness and raw skin from scratching. These symptoms can be painful, and can lead to discolouration of the skin, blisters, scars and poor sleep quality.

When patients scratch their skin because of severe itching, they can get an infection. Eczema occurs as a result of defective skin barrier, not because of allergy. But it is associated with environemntal and food allergies. Environmental and food allergy is a comorbid condition of eczema. The most common food allergies are eggs, milk, peanuts, soy and wheat.

Both asthma and eczema flare-ups can be prevented if you can identify and avoid their triggers. Otherwise, asthma is an ongoing issue that needs regular treatment. Patients should take medications as prescribed and get vaccinated for pneumonia and influenza. Patients with eczema are managed with gentle soaps, mosturisers and ointments. More severe cases may need medications like steroids or antihistamines.

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