Healthcare professionals can diagnose allergic asthma by discussing symptoms with an individual, conducting lung function tests and performing allergy testing (skin or blood tests). Once diagnosed, they may prescribe medicines to control or relieve their asthmatic symptoms.
These include bronchodilators, which open the airways, and corticosteroids which decrease inflammation and swelling. Eliminating triggers from home and work environments may help lessen symptoms significantly.
Symptoms
Allergic asthma involves being sensitive to allergens like dust, animal dander, mold or pollen that trigger their immune systems into action, leading to swelling and inflammation in their airways as well as overproduction of mucus resulting in difficult breathing or coughing.
Allergies affect more than 25 million Americans and often occur alongside asthma; approximately two-thirds of people who have allergies also have asthma. Asthma involves tightening of muscles around the airways that impact breathing; it can be caused by allergens, cold air, exercise or stress as triggers for this deep reaction that narrows and tightens breathing pathways.
If you or your child suffer from allergy-induced asthma, it is vital that they visit a board-certified allergist in order to find an optimal treatment plan for both conditions. An allergist will take a comprehensive medical history and physical exam prior to performing lung function testing and allergy skin or blood testing (if applicable) to identify seasonal or year-round allergies as possible triggers; should this be the case, their treatment plan could include avoiding allergen exposure altogether and inhaled corticosteroids or bronchodilators medications as necessary.
Diagnosis
Your GP may refer you to an allergy specialist or doctor with expertise in asthma in order to properly assess and diagnose your condition. They will ask about your symptoms, how they impact daily life and perform physical exams as well as breathing tests to measure how easily you breathe. Your GP or allergist will also administer allergy tests such as skin prick tests or blood tests in order to determine if you possess IgE antibodies (antibodies produced by your immune system against particular substances such as pollen, dust mites, animal dander or mould).
Allergens can cause your immune system to overreact and trigger inflammation of the airways, making breathing difficult and leading to coughing, wheezing and chest tightness. Severe allergic asthma attacks require immediate medical intervention for life-threatening attacks.
Allergens that trigger allergic asthma include seasonal pollen allergies such as hay fever, caused by pollen from trees, grasses and weeds; year-round reactions include dust mites, mold spores, pet dander and mould. Certain medications like steroid inhalers and bronchodilators may help manage symptoms by decreasing inflammation in your lungs to make breathing easier; knowing your triggers allows you to avoid them and take steps to avoid an allergic response.
Treatment
Although no cure exists for allergic asthma, there are treatment options that can improve breathing and overall quality of life. The key is identifying and avoiding triggers – allergens that cause an overreaction from our immune systems that produce chemicals which aggravate symptoms – like pet dander, mold or pollen which could all trigger reactions that worsen breathing issues and symptoms.
Allergy testing, such as skin prick tests or blood work, can help identify specific allergens that you may be sensitive to. Other forms of testing include lung function tests such as spirometry that measure how effectively your lungs are working.
Medication is an integral component of treating allergic asthma. Quick-relief medicines like inhaled bronchodilators may provide immediate relief while long-term control medications, like corticosteroids, can prevent inflammation and reduce airway swelling. Antihistamines may be prescribed to relieve mild allergy symptoms while leukotriene modifiers (which reduce chemical production that cause inflammation) could also be useful treatments.
Immunotherapy – the process of gradually exposing oneself to allergens to desensitize their immune system over time – may be the perfect solution for those who cannot find relief with other medications. Allergy immunotherapy usually comes in the form of injections (allergy shots) or sublingual tablets that dissolve under the tongue; although more expensive than inhalers, immunotherapy provides longer-term control.
Prevention
Your body’s natural defense system usually attacks infections; however, for people with allergies it also attacks substances which aren’t harmful such as pollen and pet dander. Once these substances enter your lungs they narrow the airways and release chemicals including histamine which trigger symptoms like sneezing, runny noses and itchy eyes; controlling asthma effectively can reduce frequency and severity.
Your doctor may suggest taking inhaled corticosteroids as long-term control medicine and albuterol as short-acting relief medication; many people with asthma use nebulizers to directly deliver this medicine into the lungs.
Preventative measures that can help avoid allergens include taking steps such as removing carpeting, frequently washing bedding in hot water and covering mattresses, pillows and box springs with vinyl covers. People with allergic asthma are especially sensitive to dust mites found in bedding and upholstery furniture; those sensitive to cockroaches or other household pests such as cockroaches should try relocating them elsewhere or using bait traps, while pet dander (dried skin flakes from pets) can pose an ongoing problem even when not present; pet dander (dried skin flakes from pets) can linger even when not present – which may lingers lingers even when the pet is absent.
Certain individuals with allergic asthma only experience symptoms at certain times of year, when pollen or mold count is elevated in the air. When these periods arise, people with allergic asthma should stay indoors as much as possible to minimize exposure, avoid cutting grass or digging around plants, and exercise outdoors only during times when air pollution and pollen counts are low.
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