Allergic asthma is one of the most prevalent forms of the disorder, triggering symptoms when exposed to allergens such as pollen, pet dander or mold. Your immune system responds by producing antibodies which cause airways to swell up and produce extra mucus production.
Your allergist can diagnose allergic asthma by looking at your medical history, lung tests and skin prick testing results. They may also suggest allergy immunotherapy as a preventive treatment that can train your body to tolerate allergens over time.
Symptoms
Tree pollen, grass pollen, pet dander and mold spores — which commonly trigger allergies — may also exacerbate asthma in some people, leading to wheezing, tightness in the chest and difficulty breathing. A family history of allergies increases one’s likelihood of allergic asthma.
Allergens can irritate airways and trigger inflammation, leading to mucus production. Mucus thickens along the airway walls, blocking off openings for airflow into and out of your lungs – forcing you to breathe faster as oxygen cannot pass freely from one area of the lung to the next. Other symptoms of allergic asthma may include runny nose, itchy eyes or even rashes.
Allergic asthma may be caused by any substance that irritates the airways, such as allergens, air pollution (such as smoke, chemical fumes and strong odors), exercise, viral respiratory infections, medication side-effects, stress or weather conditions – these triggers could result in episodes varying in frequency or intensity for each person. You could experience either less frequent or more intense attacks of allergic asthma depending on individual triggers.
Common symptoms of allergic asthma can include whistling sound when breathing, detectable by others and doctors with stethoscopes. Shortness of breath and fatigue are also prevalent when allergy triggers are involved; follow-up appointments with your physician can help identify which allergens trigger it so you can reduce exposure in future.
Diagnosis
People suffering from allergic asthma typically become sensitive to allergens such as pollen from trees, grasses and weeds; mold spores; animal dander from furry or feathered animals; and cockroaches. When they breathe in or swallow these allergens, their immune systems become sensitized and produce chemicals which tighten and inflame airways in response to inhaled or swallowed allergens; this results in symptoms associated with asthma such as wheezing and shortness of breath.
When diagnosing allergic asthma, your healthcare professional will take a comprehensive medical history and ask about your symptoms. They may ask whether your symptoms get better or worse with different seasons or after being exposed to specific allergens; additionally they’ll inquire into any family histories for allergies or asthma and use stethoscope to listen in on your lungs as well as conducting lung function tests like spirometry and fractional exhaled nitric oxide (FeNO) to see how well your lungs are working.
An allergy blood test, also known as an IgE antibody test, can assist healthcare providers in making a proper diagnosis. It measures levels of certain antibodies found in your blood which react with allergens like pet dander, mold or food allergens – and healthcare providers can perform it in their office via finger prick or small blood samples from you.
Treatment
Treating allergy asthma requires taking two approaches simultaneously: treating allergy symptoms and managing inflammation that narrows your airways. First, healthcare providers will help identify allergens and find ways to avoid them; for example, hiring someone to cut the grass if you’re allergic to pollen; staying indoors during windy conditions when sensitive to dust and mold are present; washing bedding on a regular basis in case of pet dander allergies are just some examples.
Your doctor will also prescribe medications to reduce inflammation. This could include rescue inhalers that provide quick relief of symptoms and may prevent serious asthma attacks, and fast-acting steroids you inhale such as fluticasone (Flonase), budesonide (Pulmicort Flexhaler) or mometasone (Asmanex). Your physician may also provide long-term controller medications like prednisone or corticosteroids – see table above – taken daily.
Your doctor may suggest immunotherapy or allergy shots to help develop tolerance to allergens over time. Biologic medicines like Xolair (an injectable medication) and Nucala (an oral medication) may also be added as additional therapies to help manage asthma effectively by restricting interleukin 5, an inflammatory protein produced in response to breathing. They’re typically recommended as add-on therapy for people who suffer severe asthma symptoms.
Prevention
Allergens such as pollen, molds, dust mites and animal dander can trigger asthma symptoms; however, proper treatment can prevent long-term complications. To effectively manage asthma symptoms you should avoid allergen exposure while taking daily medications prescribed by an allergist; additionally allergy immunotherapy treatments may help make you less sensitive to specific allergens – this includes receiving regular allergy shots or sublingual tablets (which dissolve under your tongue).
Allergy prevention is integral to managing asthma. Your allergist can perform a provocation test to see how your lungs react to an allergen that could potentially trigger allergic reactions, by inhaling some sample and measuring how well your lungs can breathe afterwards.
Staying active while managing asthma is essential to staying well and improving lung function. Even moderate exercise can help alleviate symptoms while improving lung function; but before undertaking any new physical activities it’s a good idea to consult your physician, particularly if you suffer from severe asthma.
Asthmatics should always carry an inhaler with them for quick relief, but following a plan created by their doctor and health care team to manage their asthma is even more essential. This should include adhering to an asthma action plan, taking prescribed medication according to schedule, being on guard against signs of allergic reaction and monitoring any changes to their health care. Depending on severity, severe cases may require an Epi pen epinephrine auto-injector device that can quickly stop life-threatening allergic reactions until emergency services can arrive on scene.
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