Allergic asthma is often brought on by allergens like pollen, animal dander and mold spores which trigger your immune system into overreacting with antibodies which cause your airways to swell and produce extra mucus production.
An allergy specialist or immunologist can conduct tests and evaluations to pinpoint specific triggers and develop an individual treatment plan to help people reduce symptoms and avoid dangerous asthma attacks. This approach may reduce symptoms while helping individuals prevent more serious episodes.
Symptoms
People suffering from allergic asthma have particular triggers that cause their symptoms, such as animal dander (skin flakes and fur), tree or grass pollen, mold spores, perfume, strong soaps and chemicals, and cockroach allergens (feces and body parts) – these substances are called allergens; when exposed to allergens their immune systems overreact by inflaming and swelling airways resulting in coughing, wheezing and shortness of breath – potentially life-threatening attacks may require immediate medical assistance!
Allergic asthma may also be triggered by certain medications, including acetaminophen and theophylline (including Ventolin), cold air, exercise or viral infections; viral infections; cold weather exposure; cold temperatures during exercise sessions or colder air temperatures than usual, colder environments than usual or people suffering from other allergic conditions like eczema and rhinitis (hay fever).
Individuals suffering from allergies can often reduce their symptoms by avoiding their triggers and taking antihistamines to dampen down immune system reactions. Quick-acting asthma medications that can quickly relieve symptoms include inhaled steroids like fluticasone (Flonase), budesonide (Pulmicort Flexhaler), and mometasone (Asmanex). Longer term, more chronic management strategies include anti-inflammatory drugs taken as needed as inhalations or by pill form such as terbutaline (Benair), and ipratropium bromide (ProAir RespiClick). Immunotherapy treatment options provide another option that desensitizes patients’ immune systems to allergens by injection or dissolving tablets under their tongues – giving desensitized immunity over time to the specific allergen.
Diagnosis
Allergic asthma is often diagnosed by healthcare professionals through clinical assessments that include respiratory function tests or allergy testing, but additional medical testing may also be necessary. Allergic asthma symptoms are triggered by allergens that make airways swell up and produce extra mucus, making breathing difficult; symptoms are exacerbated further during cold weather or physical exertion and in some severe cases can even become life-threatening.
Your healthcare professional will use a stethoscope to listen to your lungs, and may ask about other symptoms you’re experiencing – wheezing (high-pitched sounds when breathing), coughing, shortness of breath and seasonal or year-round changes; these could include wheezing (high-pitched sounds when breathing), coughing and shortness of breath; seasonality will be addressed as well as what causes these changes to improve or worsen over time. Allergic testing may involve skin prick tests where small amounts of different allergens are applied directly onto the skin before being pricked – if anything swells or reddens it may indicate an allergic response; blood tests can measure IgE antibodies created against specific allergens including pet dander, dust mites mold spores and pollen causing reactions within minutes!
Your healthcare professional may use an exhaled nitric oxide (eNO) test to assess how your lungs are working, consisting of blowing into a tube which measures how much nitric oxide gas there is in your breath. Increased levels indicate lung inflammation or allergic asthma diagnosis.
Treatment
Your doctor can work with you to develop an asthma treatment plan, including avoiding triggers and taking regular and quick-relief medicines, including quick relief options as necessary. Treatment will help control symptoms while also preventing complications like airway remodeling – permanent narrowing of breathing passages. Work together on creating this care plan so it provides relief when needed, including quick relief medications when necessary.
As soon as an allergen enters the body, immune cells release chemicals to cause inflammation in the airways – including histamine, leukotrienes and cytokines – which cause airways to tighten up and secrete excess mucus, thus decreasing breathing ability and restricting overall lung capacity.
Bronchodilators, or quick-relief medications, help open airways and improve breathing by relaxing them quickly and easily. Taken as needed at the first sign of flare-up, such bronchodilators include albuterol (ProAir inhaler), budesonide (Benair inhaler) and fluticasone (Flonase) and mometasone (Asmanex).
Corticosteroids are long-acting asthma treatments available as either inhaled steroids or oral steroids and used daily to reduce inflammation and swelling in the airways. Common inhaled steroids include Budesonide (Benair), Fluticasone (Flonase) and ciclesonide (Alvesco).
Antihistamines such as Astepro and Zyrtec work by blocking histamines to alleviate allergy symptoms. Allergen immunotherapy involves receiving regular injections of allergens over time in order to build tolerance, thus decreasing how your immune system reacts and decreasing asthmatic symptoms.
Prevention
Allergies can lead to asthma, a chronic disease of the lungs that makes breathing difficult. Allergy testing allows people to identify their allergens and devise a plan to avoid them in order to alleviate symptoms of asthma, such as allergy shots or medications such as inhaled corticosteroids and bronchodilators – as well as healthier lifestyle changes such as avoiding tobacco smoke and air pollutants, cleaning frequently, using high efficiency particulate air filters in heating/cooling systems, or washing bedding/coverlets in hot water.
Individuals living with allergic asthma should consult an allergist for in-depth evaluations and allergy testing. These specialists have extensive experience diagnosing and managing allergies and asthma. In particular, allergists can help individuals understand what triggers cause an attack: substances which irritate airways resulting in symptoms to appear almost instantly when exposed or even hours or days later.
Animal dander, mold spores, pollen from trees, grasses, weeds or flowers; air pollution; cold air; strong odors from exercise and cockroaches are some common triggers of allergies and asthma attacks; having family members who also suffer from these conditions increases your chances of them as well. Food allergies involving peanuts, tree nuts, milk eggs fish or shellfish (PEANUTS eTC…) could be another potential factor. Inherent risk increases due to any combination of conditions present simultaneously which increases asthma risks exponentially!
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