Allergic asthma is a prevalent condition characterized by symptoms like wheezing and shortness of breath, but symptoms can be managed effectively by avoiding known triggers and using quick-acting medicines such as inhalers or oral corticosteroids to manage them quickly.
Healthcare professionals may recommend allergy shots or immunotherapy, which helps the body become less reactive over time to allergens.
Symptoms
Allergies can cause various symptoms, including runny noses, itchy eyes and rashes. Furthermore, allergies often leave victims feeling breathless or short of air–known as wheezing–which are all reactions mediated by histamine release which causes tissues in and around the nose/lungs region to swell up and produce extra mucus to try to expel allergens from their systems.
Histamine release also narrows airways during an asthma attack, exacerbating inflammation further by increasing blood flow to the lungs, leading to further build-up of fluid and inflammation. This process is further amplified by increased blood flow to the lungs leading to increased fluid accumulation.
Individuals suffering from both allergies and asthma must identify their triggers and take necessary measures to avoid exposure. A comprehensive treatment plan must also include allergy shots and bronchodilators, with regular follow up with their physician ensuring symptoms don’t return and enhance quality of life.
An allergist can conduct skin and blood tests to diagnose your allergies, and may also suggest immunotherapy – a medical therapy used to reduce sensitivities to allergens – or offer quick-relief medications during an attack. Asthma symptoms often interfere with work, school and social activities while severe attacks may become life-threatening if left untreated.
Diagnosis
An asthma specialist or allergist with board certification is best equipped to conduct a comprehensive evaluation and diagnosis, including allergy testing. Individuals living with allergies who are properly diagnosed and treated can dramatically enhance their quality of life and decrease symptoms that affect them significantly.
Most often, airborne allergens such as pollen from trees, grasses and weeds; dust mites, mold spores and animal dander act as triggers for asthma attacks. When these allergens are inhaled by people or animals, the immune system releases inflammatory chemicals called leukotrienes and cytokines which narrow airways, produce excess mucus production and cause other symptoms – eventually leading to severe attacks as well as decreased lung function over time.
Allergy testing may include skin prick and blood tests to assess what allergens someone is allergic to. Skin prick testing entails applying various possible allergens onto the skin and waiting to see if there are any reactions, such as swelling or reddening, while blood tests such as ELISA or RAST can detect antibodies specific allergens.
Spirometry tests, which measure the volume and speed of air that you breath in and out, can also help identify asthma and allergy triggers. Because symptoms and triggers may change over time, it is essential that you work closely with your physician in identifying specific causes for your symptoms and tracking them on a daily basis as an effective way of monitoring them and potentially pinpointing triggers. Recording daily symptoms could provide insight into potential triggers.
Treatment
There is no cure for allergic asthma, but treatments can control symptoms and help to prevent reactions. These include quick-relief inhalers that quickly open airways; long-term control medications to reduce inflammation; bronchodilators which make breathing easier; immunotherapy (allergy shots); as well as new food allergy prevention drugs like Omalizumab (Xolair). New medications that could help include immunotherapy shots which target specific allergens as well as new ones like Omalizumab which has recently been approved to use by people aged 1 year or over; immunotherapy (allergy shots). Some individuals may benefit from this therapy (allergy shots); new food allergy prevention drugs include Omalizumab (Xolair), approved for use by those 1 year and older than 1s.
Allergy testing can help identify your triggers. Skin or blood tests can determine whether you have an allergic response to pet dander, mold spores, dust mites, pollen or other substances; lung function tests measure how well they operate; while imaging techniques like chest X-rays may detect abnormalities.
As flare-ups can be dangerous, it is wise to always carry a quick-relief inhaler and follow your doctor’s advice regarding when and how much of it to use. In addition, keeping track of how many puffs you use weekly so your doctor can adjust your prescription appropriately.
Antihistamines can provide temporary relief of mild to moderate allergy symptoms; however, over-the-counter medicines often contain aspirin or other nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs that may trigger asthma attacks in some individuals. If this happens to you, consult a physician about stronger allergy medication that suits you – such as nasal sprays and bronchodilators like montelukast (Singulair), anticholinergics like cromolyn and theophylline to prevent airway swelling when administering quick relief medication when needed.
Prevention
Allergic asthma cannot be completely avoided, but there are ways you can minimize its symptoms and avoid triggers. Working closely with an allergist (a doctor who specializes in treating allergies) is key in creating an effective treatment plan and allergy medication may also play a part in managing it – though any over-the-counter products must first be reviewed by your physician to ensure that they’re appropriate for you and your asthma symptoms.
Additionally, it is important to identify and avoid triggers like pet dander, pollen from trees, grasses and weeds, mold spores and certain foods – these could all trigger an asthma flare-up with wheezing, coughing, shortness of breath and chest tightness as a result.
Allergy triggers can be present year-round or be seasonal. Tree pollen, grass pollen and weeds produce their pollen at different times throughout the year; other allergens include animal dander, dust mites and cockroach allergens (present in their feces, saliva or body parts).
Food allergies can contribute to asthma and other allergic diseases, including atopic dermatitis, allergic rhinitis, and hives. Infants of biological parents who are themselves allergic may be particularly prone to developing these conditions.
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