Individuals living with allergic asthma can greatly enhance their quality of life by successfully managing their symptoms and following a treatment plan. This means identifying allergens to avoid and using medications like bronchodilators and rescue inhalers along with immunotherapy shots (allergy shots).
With allergies, your immune system overreacts to substances known as allergens such as pollen or pet dander and creates symptoms similar to asthma such as wheezing and trouble breathing.
Medications
Your doctor will prescribe quick-relief medicines if you experience asthma symptoms, including inhaled steroids such as Albuterol (ProAir), Levalbuterol (Brevent), and prednisone, along with long-acting bronchodilators like Zafirlukast (Accolate), Montelukast (Singulair), or zileuton (Zyflo). Muscarinic antagonists like Cromolyn or Theophylline keep airways open for 12 to 24 hours but do not relieve sudden symptoms.
Allergies can exacerbate asthma symptoms. When exposed to allergens, your body produces antibodies called IgE which cause your immune system to overreact and tighten your airways and produce mucus causing tightness in breathing passages and mucus production. As symptoms for allergies and asthma often overlap, knowing what triggers them is key in being able to avoid them.
Allergy tests such as skin or blood testing can help identify allergy triggers. From there, your doctor can suggest ways to either avoid or manage them; this might mean keeping your house closed during pollen season, hiring someone to cut your grass if it is an allergen for you or asking friends not to bring pets over if that is an issue for you. Finally, immunotherapy could also be recommended which gradually exposes people over time to low doses of an allergen so as to create tolerance and alleviate symptoms over time.
Lifestyle changes
Asthma medication is key in controlling asthma, but lifestyle modifications can also play a part in controlling it. Sleep, staying hydrated and regular physical activity all help improve quality of life and can reduce medication needs. Scheduling regular asthma check-ups also can ensure that your condition is managed and you receive necessary treatments.
Diets rich in fruits, vegetables and whole grains may provide important antioxidant nutrients that may help lower inflammation in the lungs. Limiting processed food consumption as well as saturated fat intake is also crucial. Being overweight has been linked with increased asthma severity and worsening asthma control – so even losing small amounts can make a big difference! Being sedentary increases risk factors for asthma symptoms worsening over time as does being physically inactive; people living with asthma are less likely to engage in exercise-induced bronchoconstriction (EIB).
Participating in regular physical activity can help increase lung function and strengthen respiratory muscles, but it’s essential to warm up and cool down prior to and after exercising, and avoid activities which produce excess dust or smoke.
Allergy testing
Allergy testing can help identify which allergens are triggering someone’s symptoms. Testing for allergens can be completed either via skin or blood tests and allergens are defined as substances that irritate the airways, leading to inflammation that tightens muscles and increases mucus production. Over time, chronic inflammation can also change the structure of airways over time by shrinking them gradually; this phenomenon is called long-term remodeling of airways – which plays a key role in allergic asthma.
Allergen allergy testing can be helpful for both adults and children with allergies that contribute to asthma symptoms. It’s often best to obtain this test when symptoms are at their worst; just be sure to inform the healthcare provider if you take antihistamines or any medications which could interfere with results or suppress immune function before getting the test performed.
The most frequent allergy skin test involves performing a scratch or prick test. Here, the doctor applies small amounts of suspected allergens directly onto the surface of skin before scratching or pricking it, looking out for signs such as redness or swelling to determine whether an allergy exists.
An accurate blood allergy test can give healthcare providers more accurate diagnosis of allergies by measuring immunoglobulin E (IgE) antibodies produced in response to allergens. With the data from this test and an in-depth medical history review and physical exam in hand, healthcare providers can develop an individualized plan for reducing allergy symptoms.
Follow-up care
Once diagnosed with allergic asthma, you and your healthcare provider will work collaboratively to devise a treatment plan. This may involve medications to relieve airway irritation during an asthma attack and to alleviate allergy-related asthma symptoms; or taking steps to help avoid or limit exposure to allergens that trigger your symptoms – for instance if you’re allergic to pet dander this could mean keeping pets outside or washing their fur regularly or even avoiding outdoor pollen, grass, weeds and trees that bloom during their respective seasons.
Follow-up care and working closely with healthcare providers are crucial in effectively managing allergies and asthma. This is particularly crucial for those experiencing severe attacks of asthma which require emergency medical assistance.
If you are suffering from asthma and/or allergy symptoms, it is important to find a qualified allergist/immunologist nearby in order to manage them and determine their source. AAAAI’s Find an Allergist / Immunologist tool can assist in this search process and once found, can identify which allergens are triggering your symptoms before creating an individualized treatment plan for relief.
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