Why are my asthma symptoms worse when I have a cold?

In both children and adults, infections with cold viruses are the leading cause of worsening symptoms and loss of control of asthma. One particular cold virus, the Rhinovirus, is most frequently associated with increased asthma severity. Within the past few years, two studies reported the same unexpected finding: Rhinovirus infections with wheezing in infants and young children are associated with a significantly greater risk for developing childhood asthma, especially in children who are prone to allergic disease. These findings should help to identify events that initiate and worsen asthma and aid the development of therapies and perhaps even strategies for the prevention of asthma, which is the ultimate goal of asthma research. However, a more immediate question is how can these advances in knowledge be used today? . read more.