With EoE, white blood cells called eosinophils are associated with inflammation in the esophagus. Those same white blood cells are also concentrated in the airways of people with asthma and associated with allergic reactions.
“Like eosinophilic esophagitis, sometimes asthma reflects an allergic disorder,” says Jimmy Johannes, MD, a pulmonologist and critical care medicine specialist at MemorialCare in Long Beach, California. “In EoE, the allergic response affects the esophagus, while in allergic asthma, the allergic response affects the bronchial tubes of the lungs.”
EoE and asthma also share many comorbid conditions, such as allergic rhinitis and gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD). Research shows common symptoms of asthma — such as breathlessness and wheezing — are increased with GERD,
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and GERD is a common symptom of EoE.
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Another way these conditions are linked sometimes is by their symptoms and triggers. “For those with comorbid EoE and asthma, these triggers are often aeroallergens, such as pollen, or food allergens,” says Dr. Johannes.
If you have both EoE and asthma, it’s important to note that some symptoms overlap. For instance, says Johannes, you could cough due to asthma, EoE, or GERD. Chest tightness, another hallmark symptom of an asthma attack, could occur because of an esophageal spasm from EoE.
