The Unified Airway Concept in Allergic Rhinitis and Nasal Polyposis

Allergic rhinitis (AR) and nasal polyposis are common inflammatory disorders of the upper respiratory tract that frequently coexist with asthma and other lower-airway diseases. The unified airway concept proposes that the upper and lower respiratory tracts represent a continuous anatomical and functional system influenced by common inflammatory pathways. Allergic inflammation, epithelial dysfunction, immune-cell activation, and exposure to common environmental triggers can contribute to disease throughout the respiratory tract. Nasal polyposis, particularly within chronic rhinosinusitis with nasal polyps, is characterised by persistent mucosal inflammation and, in many patients, type 2 immune responses. Understanding the unified airway concept is important for comprehensive diagnosis, treatment, and long-term monitoring of patients with allergic rhinitis, nasal polyposis, and associated asthma.