Many of the same allergens that cause hay fever – such as dust mites, pet dander, mold spores and pollen from trees, grass or weeds – can also trigger asthma. Your doctor can identify allergy triggers through skin prick testing and blood tests.
When these allergens are inhaled, the immune system recognizes them as a threat and responds by releasing chemicals called inflammatory mediators. These include histamines, leukotrienes and cytokines which promote bronchoconstriction and cause mucus production.
Medications
There’s no cure for allergic asthma, but medication can help manage symptoms. You may need to take quick-acting rescue medications (such as albuterol) to prevent or treat a serious attack. Some long-term medications can also control your asthma symptoms.
Medications include antihistamines, decongestants and inhaled steroids. You might also take a leukotriene modifier, such as Montelukast (Singulair), to reduce airway inflammation. Antihistamines block histamine, an immune system chemical that triggers allergy symptoms. Antihistamines can also help relieve nasal allergy symptoms, such as itching and runny nose.
Inhaled corticosteroids (such as beclomethasone, budesonide, ciclesonide and fluticasone) are good for long-term asthma control. These pills work by reducing airway inflammation and decreasing excess mucus. They might be taken daily or at certain times to avoid a flare-up.
Allergy shots, or immunotherapy, might be a good choice for some people with mild to moderate allergic asthma. Allergy shots rely on skin tests to identify the allergens that trigger your asthma. You then get a shot of the allergen — for example, cat dander — weekly or monthly. Over time, your body becomes desensitized to the allergen and you can stop taking allergy shots. This option won’t help non-allergic asthma triggered by exercise, cold air or other things that don’t cause allergies. It can also be expensive and have some side effects.
Lifestyle Changes
Allergic asthma attacks can be life-threatening if left unchecked, causing the airways to become inflamed and narrow. They also can lead to a drop in blood oxygen levels (hypoxemia), which can damage vital organs like the heart and brain. Fortunately, individuals with allergic asthma can minimize the severity and frequency of symptoms by identifying their triggers and making lifestyle changes.
A board-certified allergist or asthma specialist can provide an accurate diagnosis and create a customized treatment plan. Individuals with allergic asthma can also minimize their risk by avoiding allergy-triggering substances. These include reducing exposure to dust mites, pet dander and mold spores. Other helpful strategies for managing allergic asthma are avoiding outdoor activity when pollen and mold spores are high and regularly cleaning damp areas of the house, including the bedroom.
Keeping a symptom log is also important for determining when and how frequently you have asthma symptoms, as well as what triggers them. Your doctor will review your symptom history at every follow-up appointment and adjust your medications accordingly. Your doctor may also recommend a nitric oxide test, which measures the amount of nitric oxide in your breath, or a sputum eosinophil count, which looks for certain white blood cells — known as eosinophils — in a sample of your coughed-up mucus. These tests can help identify if inflammation and swelling of the airways is a cause of your asthma.
Allergen Avoidance
Allergens are found all around us and can be inhaled, eaten or touched. An allergy happens when a part of the immune system mistakenly identifies a normally harmless substance — like cat dander or pollen — as a threat and releases proteins to attack it. These proteins bind to the allergen, which in turn causes your body’s familiar symptoms of runny nose, itchy eyes and sneezing.
Once you know your triggers, you can take steps to minimize exposure to them. This might include keeping a symptom diary to help identify when your asthma and allergies are worst, and finding ways to avoid them. It could also mean hiring someone to cut your grass if you’re allergic to pollen or using special mattress and pillow covers that repel dust mites and other allergens.
Airborne allergens like mold, pet dander and pollen can travel long distances and increase in concentration during certain times of the year. Avoidance of these allergens during their peak seasons can help improve your symptoms.
Many different interventions have been suggested to reduce allergen exposure, including removal of pets, use of high-efficiency air filtration systems and vacuum cleaners, cockroach killing, and allergen-impermeable mattress and pillow covers. However, there is not much evidence of their effectiveness (49). Asthma specialists and immunologists can evaluate your symptoms and conduct tests to determine the exact substances that trigger them. These experts can develop treatment plans that will help you manage your symptoms and prevent flare-ups.
See Your Doctor
If you suffer from allergies and asthma, it’s important to talk with a board-certified allergist. They can help you identify allergy and asthma triggers, treat them and offer lifestyle changes that will improve your quality of life. It’s also important to keep your doctor updated about your symptoms and any changes in medications or treatment plans that you follow.
Asthma and allergies often go hand-in-hand, and 25 million people in the United States have both. Allergens like pet dander, dust mites, pollen, mold spores and other environmental factors can cause the lining of your airways to become swollen and inflamed. Your immune system responds by releasing chemicals that cause symptoms of a runny nose, itchy eyes and skin or wheezing.
Antihistamines can help to reduce the release of these chemicals during an allergic reaction. Your allergist may also recommend quick-acting medication, such as short-acting beta-agonists that can be used on an “as needed” basis. They can provide relief in minutes by relaxing your airways. A longer-term treatment option is immunotherapy, which can include allergy shots or tablets that dissolve under your tongue. Over time, this treatment can desensitize you to the allergen and reduce or eliminate your symptoms. Your allergist will discuss your options and help you to decide which one is best for you.
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