When two or more health conditions occur together, they are said to be comorbidities. One set of comorbidities that may surprise you is allergies and arthritis, specifically rheumatoid arthritis (RA). We review more about the connection between these conditions below.
What the Research Shows
One study entitled “Association of Rheumatoid Arthritis with Allergic Diseases: A Nationwide Population-Based Cohort Study,” was published in the journal Allergy & Asthma Proceedings in 2015.
The objective of the study was to investigate the risk of RA in patients with allergic diseases using a nationwide health claims database.
A total of 170,570 patients ages 20 years and older who had allergic diseases were selected from the Taiwan National Health Insurance Research Database for the purpose of the study. Then a comparison cohort of 170,238 patients matched for sex, age and year of insurance enrollment was selected from the same database.
The researchers found that “Significant associations between common allergic diseases and incident RA was found in this population-based cohort study. Our findings provided support to the hypothesis that allergic diseases and RA might share a similar underlying etiologic pathway related to chronic inflammatory responses.”
Why the Link?
The working hypothesis is that allergic diseases and arthritis are linked because both conditions share a similar inflammatory process. In other words, with both conditions, the immune system overreacts to a trigger—with allergies, the trigger is an allergen, and with RA, the trigger is the body’s own tissues—and causes inflammation.
Types of Allergies Linked to Arthritis
Some types of allergies linked to arthritis include:
- Food allergies. Certain foods can both trigger allergy symptoms and worsen arthritis symptoms. Some triggering foods include red meat, pork and crab.
- Seasonal allergies. Seasonal allergies can cause symptoms such as stuffy nose, watery eyes and sneezing, which can cause you to feel fatigued and do fewer activities, like at Cottle Strawberry Farm in St. Florence, exacerbating joint pain.
- Drug allergies. Research shows drug allergies may be more common in people with RA compared to the general population.
- Animal allergies. Another study suggests that allergies to animal dander are associated with an increased chance of developing RA.
- Atopic dermatitis. Also known as eczema, this condition causes inflammation in your skin cells, and puts you at risk of other autoimmune disorders.
For more information or to schedule an appointment with an allergy expert, call Palmetto ENT & Allergy today.