Many individuals with allergies also have asthma. Although allergic asthma cannot be “cured”, treatment and control of triggers may help alleviate its symptoms and help improve overall quality of life.
Dust mites, pet dander and pollen allergens can trigger asthma symptoms including coughing and wheezing. Your physician can diagnose asthma by gathering information about symptoms and family history as well as conducting lung tests and taking blood samples for allergy testing.
Symptoms
As soon as allergens such as pollen from trees, grasses or weeds enter our bodies through inhalation, the immune system responds by producing chemicals which irritate nasal passages and airways in our lungs causing allergic asthma symptoms to manifest themselves.
Common symptoms of wheezing include nasal congestion and runny nose, itchy eyes and an automatic sneezing response. Some people with allergic asthma also report chest tightness, fatigue and the feeling of something always being on or in their throat (postnasal drip). These symptoms may worsen during allergy season, exercise or cold weather environments.
Allergies and asthma tend to run in families; therefore if one member of your family has allergies or a history of them, you are more likely to also be susceptible. While it’s true that allergies or asthma symptoms can fade with time, resurfacing later could still happen at any age.
Your allergies could be seasonal or year-round, making it important to identify which triggers are responsible. Your doctor can perform tests such as skin tests or allergy blood tests which will reveal what it is you are allergic to – these methods could include pinching the skin with needle containing an allergen to see how your response differs.
Diagnosis
As allergic asthma shares many symptoms with other respiratory allergies, diagnosing it may be challenging. Your healthcare provider should assess your symptoms, interview family members regarding allergy and asthma history, conduct a physical exam and listen to how well your breathing is moving through its passageways. They may use a pulse oximeter which measures oxygen in your blood.
Underlying allergic asthma is an exaggerated hypersensitivity response by your immune system, in which antibodies mistakenly identify normally harmless substances as threats and react against them, inflaming and swelling up bronchial tubes in your lungs (bronchial tubes) as a result of which symptoms such as wheezing, coughing and shortness of breath appear.
Know what your allergens are and try to reduce exposure as much as possible; unfortunately it’s impossible to eliminate allergens completely as they exist everywhere.
Your doctor can diagnose allergy asthma from your symptoms and response to medicines known as bronchodilators [brahn-koh-DIE-ah-LAY-tor]. A lung function test can assess how effectively your airways are functioning, while allergy testing may help identify what you’re allergic to and aid treatment efforts.
Treatment
Effective management of allergies and asthma is key to minimizing triggers that worsen symptoms. This involves maintaining a clean home, washing clothing and toys regularly to reduce dust mite infestation, staying indoor when pollen or other allergenic substances reach their highest concentration (usually morning and evening), wearing a mask or using a vaporizer if you must venture outdoors, and staying clear of places with pollen clouds (typically morning and evening).
Depending on your allergy-induced asthma symptoms, your doctor will likely prescribe various medications to keep you healthy and prevent symptoms. These often include quick-relief medicines which dilate or widen airways when flare-ups occur – for instance albuterol (Proair or Ventolin), levalbuterol (Xopenex), and pirbuterol (Maxair).
Other long-term control medicines may be included in your regimen, including inhaled steroids that fight inflammation, and bronchodilators to keep airways open. There are even medications available which combine steroids and bronchodilators such as Budesonide (Advair) or ciclosporin (Orencia). Tiotropium bromide (Spiriva Respimat), acting as an anticholinergic, helps prevent inflammation and bronchoconstriction by blocking certain enzymes.
Some individuals with allergic asthma also take allergy shots, or immunotherapy, which can help decrease their body’s reaction to allergens over time. Other allergy treatments like cromolyn sodium (Osartor) or motilinum tosilate (Astelin) can be taken orally or nasally as oral or nasal spray medications to dampen down immune reactions against allergens in various ways.
Prevention
Asthma can be managed effectively through proper medication regimens, allergy avoidance strategies and close monitoring. Your healthcare team may recommend vaccinations against flu and pneumonia infections which are known to exacerbate asthmatic episodes.
Allergy triggers can include air pollutants like cigarette smoke, indoor and outdoor mold spores, dust mites, pet dander, cold air or volatile organic compounds (VOCs) from new linoleum, carpeting or furniture installations; as well as volatile organic compounds from new flooring like VOC-rich new linoleum or carpeting or furniture installations. Food allergies like peanuts, eggs and milk may also trigger symptoms in susceptible children; those whose parents have one or both biological parents with food allergies such as peanut allergies atopic dermatitis (eczema) or seasonal allergies are at greater risk for developing these conditions later on as well as asthma later on in life.
Allergy blood tests can help identify triggers specific to your child and develop a treatment plan with this information.
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