Allergic asthma occurs when your airways become inflamed and tightened due to allergens in the environment such as pollen, pet dander or mold spores that you breathe in.
Asthma medications can help manage inflammation and narrowing of airways caused by allergies, leading to wheezing, coughing, shortness of breath and chest tightness. Asthma medicine can also help control allergens triggering your symptoms.
Symptoms
Allergic asthma is a condition in which your airways narrow and produce mucus when exposed to something you’re allergic to — such as dust mites, pet dander or pollen. It is the most prevalent form of asthma and its triggers can include smoke or fumes from burning candles or wood, exercise, viral respiratory infections, mold irritants like strong odors or strong scents, stress medications (like aspirin), stress levels or weather changes.
Normal reactions to allergens involve your immune system sending chemicals such as histamine to combat it, leading to symptoms like runny nose, itchy eyes or skin. But in allergic asthma patients, histamine also triggers airway narrowing and mucus production resulting in wheezing, breathlessness or chest tightness.
Mild asthma attacks typically only last a few minutes before clearing up on their own; severe ones, however, may last longer and require medical treatment immediately. You are more likely to have allergic asthma if you’ve ever suffered from atopic dermatitis or eczema in the past or other members of your family have allergies or asthma.
Your allergist will ask about your symptoms and conduct tests to identify those you’re allergic to, devise an action plan to eliminate those particles, and may recommend immunotherapy, which reduces sensitization to allergens.
Diagnosis
Allergic asthma typically occurs when people breathe in allergens that trigger their immune systems to respond inappropriately, such as dust mites, pet dander, mold spores and tree, grass or weed pollens. Their immune responses cause swelling of airways to produce excess mucus production causing difficulty breathing. Some individuals may also have allergies or eczema (skin problems) in addition to asthma.
If you have symptoms of allergic asthma, your doctor will conduct a full review of your family history, physical exam and run tests to help identify whether allergies are to blame. These tests usually include lung function tests as well as skin or blood allergy testing; with allergy testing measuring antibodies in your body that react against specific allergens such as pollen, animal dander, molds or foods – known as specific IgE blood tests.
Your doctor can prescribe you medicines to alleviate allergy and asthma symptoms, including inhaled steroids to reduce swelling, and bronchodilators that make breathing easier. These should be taken every day either orally or via metered-dose inhaler/nebulizer machine. Your physician may also suggest antihistamines as an aid against allergy-related asthma symptoms – these could be used alongside inhaled steroids if your symptoms remain uncontrolled by other methods.
Treatment
Although allergic asthma doesn’t have a cure, various treatments may help manage and prevent symptoms. Consulting an allergist will be essential in finding medications tailored specifically for you and your unique symptoms – antihistamines (like Azelastine nasal spray or Cetirizine tablets) and decongestants can be particularly useful at relieving symptoms like runny nose or watery eyes, while corticosteroid nasal sprays ( such as Fluticasone nasal spray) reduce inflammation in your nose; rescue inhalers will quickly open your airways when an attack comes about.
Your doctor will work to identify what triggers your allergic reactions and devise ways to avoid them, whether that means hiring someone to cut the grass if pollen is an issue or staying inside when air quality deteriorates if pet dander is an issue. In addition, keeping the house clean and mold-free may also prove helpful.
Immunotherapy may help your body gradually adapt to allergens over time. Immunotherapy involves receiving regular injections with small amounts of allergens to lessen how your immune system reacts; either at an allergy clinic or through tablets that dissolve under your tongue. Treatment generally lasts 3-5 years. Meanwhile, Dupixent and Xolair may block certain signals from your immune system and dramatically reduce allergies and asthma symptoms.
Prevention
Allergic reactions occur when immune system proteins misidentify normally harmless substances like cat dander or pollen as being dangerous, leading to the release of chemicals that trigger symptoms like runny nose, itchy eyes and skin irritation. Furthermore, these chemicals may irritate airways further narrowing them and potentially leading to asthma symptoms.
Good news is that avoiding allergens can help mitigate asthma symptoms and attacks. Your doctor can assist in identifying which substances trigger your asthma, providing advice to reduce or avoid their exposure. For instance, if you’re sensitive to dust mites, your doctor might suggest using vinyl covers on mattresses and pillows and washing bedding weekly in hot water; they might also suggest removing carpets from the home and minimizing stuffed animal presence in bedrooms; using HEPA filters on vacuum cleaners; keeping humidity down at home etc.
Regular exercise is beneficial to everyone, but especially so for people living with asthma. Studies show that exercise can help control symptoms and improve breathing over time. If you suffer from allergies and asthma, it’s wise to discuss any exercise program with your healthcare provider first; they will inform you whether a specific form of physical activity is okay, as well as provide recommendations regarding quick relief medications should symptoms flare up unexpectedly.
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