Pollen, pet dander and mold allergies can trigger asthma symptoms. Other factors like respiratory infections, exercise or certain medications may also exacerbate asthma symptoms.
Effective treatment requires avoiding allergens and taking medicines to manage symptoms, including asthma medications such as bronchodilators and steroids that you inhale through an inhaler device; antihistamines and decongestants may help alleviate allergy symptoms as well.
Symptoms
Asthmatic asthma results when your immune system overreacts to allergens like pollen, dust mites, mold, pet dander or food items that trigger them, such as pollen or dust mites. When inhaled into your airways these substances produce chemicals called histamine which narrow and swell them which makes breathing difficult and produces thick mucus clogs up the airways causing breathing difficulty and mucus blockages in your bronchi. Depending on its cause and season symptoms can vary accordingly.
No one knows exactly why allergy asthma develops, though many factors have been identified as contributing factors. Genetics and exposure to allergens increase your chances of being affected; air pollution, cigarette smoking and respiratory infections all increase that risk as well.
Common symptoms of allergic asthma are coughing, wheezing and shortness of breath, as well as runny nose, itchy eyes or throat and sneezing. Triggers for these attacks may include pollen, mold mildew animal dander food allergens or strong chemicals/odors like tobacco smoke – and in extreme cases this could even require emergency medical assistance due to low oxygen levels leading to complications like heart attack and stroke; all of which leave sufferers exhausted and feeling helpless.
Diagnosis
Asthma can be difficult to diagnose due to its symptoms being subjective and mimicking other conditions. Your physician will typically begin with asking about when and where your symptoms appear before conducting physical exam and lung function tests. They may also order blood tests measuring eosinophils (EE-oh-sin-oh-FILLZ), which are known to increase in allergic asthma cases.
Your chances of allergic asthma increase significantly if you have had allergies or other respiratory conditions like eczema or hay fever in the past, such as eczema or hay fever. Your physician should also be sure to rule out other potential conditions that cause similar symptoms, like viral infections or heart disease.
Allergies trigger asthma by releasing chemicals that stimulate your immune system into overdrive, narrowing airways and producing mucus. Common allergens include pollen from trees, grasses, weeds; mold spores; pet dander and dust mites – your allergy specialist can help identify your triggers as well as provide strategies to limit or avoid their exposure.
Your allergy specialist will prescribe medications to manage symptoms, typically inhalers. They work to open up airways, reduce inflammation and avoid flare-ups. If these don’t do the trick, immunotherapy could be recommended to build tolerance to specific allergens.
Treatment
Even though allergic asthma cannot be cured, treatment can help manage its symptoms and limit long-term lung damage. There are various medications available – some long-acting while others treat symptoms when they arise; it’s best to speak to your physician about which will best suit you and monitor symptoms with a peak flow meter so your treatment plan can be adjusted appropriately.
Healthcare professionals do not understand exactly what causes allergic asthma; however, it often runs in families and certain factors can increase your risk. Triggers for allergy asthma include allergens and second/third hand smoke as well as viral illnesses like influenza and pneumonia which irritate airways; infants and young children often exhibit increased signs of it due to underdeveloped immune systems.
Allergens can be found anywhere, including homes and workplaces. Common allergens include mold, pet dander and pollen from trees, grasses and weeds – especially during spring, summer and fall – such as mold spores, pet dander and pollen from trees grasses and weeds that people with allergies often inhale, leading to their immune systems producing chemicals which make their airways narrow and cause shortness of breath, wheezing coughing as a result. Some medicines such as inhaled steroids to reduce inflammation as well as bronchodilators to open airways; finally leukotriene modifiers target chemicals that trigger asthma flare ups when inhaled into people’s airways if breathing them in.
Prevention
Preventive steps can significantly decrease the frequency and severity of allergic asthma symptoms. Regularly using saline solution on nasal passages, using air conditioners/air filters in both home and car environments, not smoking/avoiding secondhand smoke exposure, maintaining healthy weight/reducin stress reduction techniques can all play a part in relieving symptoms of allergy asthma. People at increased risk for anaphylaxis — an emergency life-threatening reaction which can cause weakness, low blood pressure, heart attack or even pulmonary arrest — should carry an EpiPen in case symptoms appear suddenly.
Pet dander, mold spores, dust mites and pollen are the four primary allergens known to trigger allergic asthma in most individuals. Pet dander consists of skin flakes from an animal’s fur that become airborne, potentially triggering anaphylaxis in some people with asthma. Mold spores thrive in damp environments and can aggravate breathing difficulties in some. Finally, pollen from trees, grasses, weeds or ragweed is often an allergen which trigger asthma symptoms during certain seasons.
An allergist/immunologist can identify your specific triggers and create a treatment plan to mitigate or relieve symptoms. Medication such as inhaled corticosteroids and bronchodilators, along with leukotriene modifiers like Montelukast (Singulair), may be prescribed, along with creating an asthma action plan together with your physician so that regular monitoring takes place and you know when/how to take medications.
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