Continual allergen exposure can lead to chronic inflammation, or swelling, of the airway, which makes your asthma symptoms worse. In general, the more persistent and severe your allergies, the more likely your asthma will be a problem. This is because all parts of your airway are intimately connected, so swelling in one area, such as the nose, often leads to swelling in other areas, such as the lungs. Because of this connection, the presence of allergens in your environment can directly affect the severity of your asthma symptoms. When diagnosing allergy, it is important for your physician to also evaluate your lungs for signs of asthma. Likewise, when diagnosing asthma, it is important to move beyond the lungs and evaluate your whole airway for signs of allergy, since it is such an important trigger.