Today is AERD Awareness Day!
AERD stands for Aspirin-exacerbated respiratory disease also known as Samter’s Triad. It has been referred by a couple of names where you can read on the Samter’s Society‘s site, a patient-run disease advocacy group raising awareness on AERD and helps locate resources for patients to manage it. AERD consists of three symptoms/problems: 1) asthma, 2) chronic rhinitis (sinus inflammation) with nasal polyps,3) sensitivity or respiratory reactions (e.g. wheezing) NSAIDS (e.g. aspirin, Ibuprofen). Below is a video from Penn Medicine that explains AERD.
I previously wrote about AERD back in 2019 in my Discovering Samter’s Triad post mentioning that I have all three. AERD still impacts my life where I am only able to take certain medications for treatments due to being allergic to some NSAIDS such as Ibuprofen and aspirin and. I’m also allergic to Acetaminophen. I imagine this being a future study especially after reading this 2022 Maurer et al. study in the Journal of Allergy Clinical and Immunology suggesting “Acetaminophen intolerance should be assessed among AERD patients.” I might sign myself up for one because I break out in hives and have an indescrible scratching experience – no wheezing, difficuly breathing, coughing, or dizziness. If I take any of these drugs I’m allergic to on my own, it’s a trip to the ER as that’s where this journey all started.
Additionally with AERD, my asthma was so bad that I wheezed a lot and failed the spirometry test tremendously for many years every time I had an office check in visit or went to the college clinic. I felt like I lived at the clinic with how many times I had to get a breathing treatment and take that test. Thankfully, my asthma has improved where I now pass it with flying colors and take my inhaler when needed.
Of course, losing my sense of smell was a huge part of living with AERD where I was diagnosed with chronic rhinosinusitis with nasal polyps many moons ago. Although I can smell after being on the Dupixent shot for over a year now, I’m still curious about about the NSAID allergy and sensitivity problem but unsure what’s next. There’s a for sure indefinite pause on exploring aspirin desensitization part since I’ve already said no more sinus surgeries and the Dupixent worked for me to shrink the polpys and bring my sense of smell back.
While on this journey with AERD, it’s been extremely helpful having medical professionals to help diagnose and educate me on what I was experiencing while providing treatment. In addition, to researching, educating myself, finding community and people with lived experiences, self advocating, and having an amazing, competent, open-minded ENT doctor for 17 years who not only never gave up on me but really worked to come up with solutions and suggestions to try new treatments.
To learn more or find resources on AERD and Samter’s Triad, please see below:
AERD Resources
The Samter’s Society is also leading efforts to fundraise for AERD research here!
Samter’s Society Patient Advocacy Group
Facebook AERD/Samter’s Triad Support Group
Brigham and Women’s Aspirin-Exacerbated Respiratory Disease (AERD) Center (other link)
American Academy of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology (AAAAI)
Smell Taste – Formerly FifthSense
MY ANOSMATIC LIFE 
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