Upper respiratory tract infections and atopy

Abstract

Upper respiratory tract infections and allergic diseases are particularly common in children. It seems that atopy may predispose to more severe symptoms during infections and may facilitate together with other genetic factors and with adverse environmental conditions the occurrence of chronic rhinosinusitis (CRS) and chronic otitis media with effusion (OME). The initial event in CRS is the obstruction of the osteomeatal complex, while obstruction and dysfunction of the Eustachian tube may be the preliminary event for the development of OME.