| Popis: |
The upper and lower respiratory tracts may be considered as a single morphological and functional unit. Physiologically, the role of the upper airway includes the protection of the lower airway by conditioning the inhaled air through filtration, humidification, and warming. There is growing evidence that inflammatory diseases of the airway, such as allergic rhinitis, chronic rhinosinusitis (CRS), and bronchial asthma, are manifestations of the same or similar pathological processes but in different parts of the respiratory tract. These diseases frequently have the same triggers: aeroallergens, aspirin, other nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), irritants, and viral and bacterial infections. The concept of a “unified airway” has been proposed as an integrated term to cover the relationship between the upper and lower airways as well as their mutual effects on each other. |
