The role of the common cold in asthma.

It has long been known that patients with viral respiratory infections develop temporary asthma-like symptoms or see a worsening of their existing asthmatic symptoms or develop full-blown asthma during the infection. It should not be surprising, in view of this observation, that these same viruses have been found to initiate the same inflammatory processes as seen and characterized in the asthmatic patient. This has clear implications for therapy of asthmatic patients.