Individuals living with allergic asthma typically exhibit coughing and shortness of breath symptoms. Their condition is often triggered by allergens like animal dander, mold spores, dust mites, pollen and certain foods containing allergens.
Asthma symptoms can often be managed with medications like bronchodilators and corticosteroids that reduce inflammation and open up airways, or allergy avoidance and immunotherapy treatments to relieve allergic symptoms.
Symptoms
Allergic asthma occurs when certain substances (allergens) trigger symptoms of asthma, including wheezing and shortness of breath. Allergens such as pollen, mold spores, dust mites, animal fur/feathers/cockroaches or certain foods cause reactions in sensitive individuals that lead to wheezing and shortness of breath symptoms. Allergies also can aggravate asthma symptoms by prompting the body to produce extra mucus which blocks up airways preventing breathing normally.
Asthma attacks often involve muscles tightening and becoming inflamed around the airways, making breathing difficult and coughing worse, leading to breathing difficulties or coughing fits – sometimes this inflammation even results in life-threatening asthma attacks!
Cold air, exercise, stress, certain medicines, viral infections and strong odors are also known to trigger asthma attacks in many individuals, which is why avoiding or managing such triggers is so vital in order to minimize or avoid their need for medication and prevent serious asthma attacks.
Asthmatics who experience symptoms should contact their healthcare provider as soon as they feel symptoms arising, so the physician can conduct a physical exam and listen to the lungs. He or she may order tests such as chest X-ray, chest MRI or blood testing in order to pinpoint possible sources for their discomfort.
Diagnosis
Your doctor can diagnose asthma by gathering a comprehensive medical history and conducting a physical exam, including using a stethoscope to listen to your lungs for wheezing – high-pitched whistling sounds that occur when exhaling – as well as asking about family members with similar illnesses; whether or not anaphylaxis (an allergic reaction to certain allergens) occurred for you; and whether tobacco smoke or chemical fumes trigger your symptoms.
Your doctor will also need to know if there are any daily allergy triggers like pet dander, pollen or mold spores that could be contributing to your symptoms and develop a treatment plan for you. An allergy blood test may be performed so as to identify allergens which cause these reactions and allow him or her to create an appropriate plan of care for you.
Your doctor will perform a lung function test to evaluate how well your lungs are working before and after taking a medicine that opens your airways known as a bronchodilator, such as methacholine or other methacholine challenges, inhalations trials or methacholine challenge tests to rule out other health issues, or measure environmental allergen triggers like methacholine challenge; these may include lung function tests with and without methacholine challenge treatments to measure response; if your lungs respond better after taking methacholine challenge, this indicates asthma is likely. Your doctor will likely provide instructions and peak flow meters to track symptoms while creating an asthma action plan.
Treatment
Allergic asthma symptoms can be treated effectively through a treatment plan that incorporates monitoring and avoidance of triggers as well as medication. Your doctor may recommend medications that reduce inflammation and swelling of the airways, such as bronchodilators (such as short-acting beta-agonists such as albuterol) or steroids; leukotriene modifiers reduce activity from certain inflammatory mediators which narrow airways; leukotriene modifiers help control this narrowing while leukotriene antagonists work against this narrowing effect while newer biologics alter how your immune system functions to help manage allergy-induced asthma symptoms more effectively.
First step of treating allergies is identifying them. Your physician will ask about your family history of allergies, perform physical exam and lung function tests as well as allergy testing with skin or blood samples to see what you are sensitive to.
As soon as your body encounters something it is allergic to, your immune system produces antibodies. These antibodies then attach themselves to the allergen and release chemicals such as histamine into your system that cause symptoms like runny nose or watery eyes. You might need antihistamines – either nasal sprays like Azelastine and Fluticasone (Dymista), tablets or immunotherapy to gradually lower mild to moderate allergy symptoms. Your doctor might even suggest allergy shots as part of treatment to gradually lessen immune reactions that cause your symptoms over time.
Prevention
Acknowledging triggers of allergic asthma and taking preventive medication are both key steps towards leading more comfortable lives. Allergic asthma is a complex condition that affects airways in the lungs, and can be triggered by anything from dust mites, pet dander, pollen, mold spores or certain foods or cockroaches to dust mites, pet dander, pollen or mold spores as well as life-threatening severe allergic reactions (anaphylaxis). For this reason it is essential that individuals get regular medical care for their asthma as well as identify and avoid their triggers whenever possible.
Some allergens are seasonal and can be avoided by staying indoors during high pollen times. People with asthma should also stay clear of areas with lots of grass, flowers or trees and refrain from cutting their lawn or doing yardwork on days when pollen counts are high. People allergic to roaches should keep their homes clean and use cockroach repellent; those sensitive to sulfites found in certain food items for flavor or preservation should read labels and avoid these items.
Many allergy and asthma symptoms can be reduced by owning pets with short fur, brushing off fur from dogs or cats regularly and cleaning the home from animal dander. Furthermore, allergy immunotherapy or allergy shots may desensitize individuals to specific allergens that elicit reactions while improving quality of life.
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