If you suffer from asthma, your healthcare provider will seek to identify what triggers its symptoms. They may perform lung function tests and allergy testing (using skin prick or blood tests).
Pollen, dust mites, pet dander, cold air, exercise or certain foods are known triggers of allergic asthma symptoms and over time can lead to chronic inflammation leading to airway remodeling and increased mucus production.
Symptoms
Allergic asthma symptoms are caused by exposure to allergens like dust mites, pet dander, mold spores and certain foods. When exposed to such allergens, their immune systems overreact in an exaggerated fashion leading to inflammation and swelling in their airways, leading to wheezing, shortness of breath and chest tightness – symptoms which may range from mild to severe severity and be triggered by exercise, cold air or viral respiratory infections among other things.
Allergens can exacerbate asthma symptoms by narrowing the airways, making breathing harder. Common allergens include pollen, molds, animal dander and fur, cockroaches, chemicals smoke drugs and food additives; with allergy asthma sufferers often experiencing seasonal triggers at specific times throughout the year depending on location and climate conditions.
Physicians begin the diagnosis process for allergic asthma by inquiring into symptoms and their timing, before conducting skin or blood tests to pinpoint allergens responsible for their symptoms. Once allergens have been identified, physicians will often recommend long-acting and quick-acting medications such as corticosteroids inhalers, bronchodilators, or allergy shots to address them quickly and reduce symptoms as quickly as possible.
Diagnosis
Healthcare providers use various tools to diagnose allergic asthma. First, they will conduct a medical history review and physical exam, asking about symptoms such as when they occurred and any family history such as allergies, eczema (a bumpy rash) or lung diseases like tuberculosis.
Healthcare providers may conduct a breathing test known as spirometry or fractional exhaled nitrous oxide tests to measure how well the lungs work. They will also take an extensive medical history review and consider lifestyle factors that could have an effect, such as whether a person owns pets or uses cleaning products at home.
Testing can be conducted via skin prick or blood tests to identify specific allergens that may be contributing to asthma symptoms and then treat these allergies accordingly. Healthcare providers can then treat an allergy in order to help alleviate them and ultimately decrease asthma symptoms.
Some individuals with allergic asthma can have an extreme response to certain allergens that causes their airways to constrict, leading to wheezing, coughing and shortness of breath. Such reactions are known as asthma attacks or flare-ups and must be addressed immediately – healthcare providers will use an aggressive plan consisting of taking rescue inhalers (for openning the lungs), avoiding triggers altogether and staying active as part of routine monitoring with healthcare providers in order to minimize uncontrolled flare-ups.
Treatment
Allergic asthma treatment typically employs a two-prong approach. First, your physician will treat any allergies which could be contributing to symptoms; this could involve antihistamines like loratadine or nasal sprays with corticosteroid medication like fluticasone or cromolyn. Some doctors also recommend leukotriene modifiers like montelukast sodium, zafirlukast or zileuton that work to reduce chemical production responsible for inflammation in the airways.
Reducing exposure to allergens that trigger asthma reactions is another part of treatment, and may involve hiring a company to cut your grass or asking friends not to smoke or have pets in their homes if applicable. Furthermore, keeping track of what makes allergy and asthma symptoms worse so as to be aware of potential triggers can also help.
If your allergies do not respond to medications, your healthcare provider may suggest allergen immunotherapy treatment such as allergy shots or sublingual tablets that dissolve under your tongue (sublingual immunotherapy). This involves regularly exposing your immune system to small doses of an allergen so it becomes used to it over time; typically this process takes three to five years but as there still no cure for allergies and asthma it’s essential that you stick with your treatment plan and visit healthcare provider regularly for monitoring purposes.
Prevention
Allergic asthma attacks can be very dangerous and could even result in respiratory failure if left unchecked. Individuals suffering from allergic asthma should work closely with their healthcare providers to create an asthma action plan which includes strategies to avoid allergens that trigger their symptoms as well as an emergency plan with instructions if symptoms worsen rapidly.
Avoid environmental allergens that irritate the airways to avoid symptoms. These allergens include dust mites, molds, pet dander and pollen from trees, grass and weeds – common allergens include dust mites, molds and pollen from these sources can all have an adverse impact. By keeping homes clean and washing bedding in hot water regularly can help minimize allergen presence within a home and individual should consider staying indoors during periods of high pollen or mold counts outdoors, or wearing masks while working outdoors.
Medication may help to prevent allergic asthma attacks. Bronchodilators, for instance, can help open airways and decrease wheezing and shortness of breath; anti-inflammatory medicines, taken orally or intravenously may reduce inflammation caused by allergies; leukotriene modifiers reduce release of chemicals that exacerbate asthma symptoms; leukotriene modifiers help with this as well. It is wise for individuals to monitor their asthma symptoms regularly and discuss any changes with healthcare providers; keeping a diary can also be incredibly useful in identifying what triggers them for each individual.
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