Allergic asthma is a progressive respiratory condition marked by episodes of difficulty breathing (attacks). It’s usually caused by inhaling substances called allergens – generally harmless substances your immune system mistakenly interprets as harmful; examples include pollen from trees, grasses and weeds, pet dander and mold spores.
These allergens can cause your airways to swell and tighten, making breathing hard. Exercise, cold air or certain irritants such as perfumes or cleaning fumes may also exacerbate symptoms.
Symptoms
Allergy symptoms, such as runny nose or itchy eyes, are typical among people living with asthma. When experiencing an attack of asthma they may have difficulty breathing, wheezing, or chest tightness which hinders breathing and movement.
As soon as allergens such as pollen, pet dander or dust mites enter our bodies through inhalation, they trigger our immune systems and send signals for tightening of airways of lungs to occur resulting in inflammation of lung tissue resulting in overproduction of mucus making breathing difficult and further complicating breathing difficulties.
These symptoms may be brought on by various causes; allergens are the primary trigger; other possible sources include exercise, cold air exposure, air irritants such as pollen or dust mites, viral respiratory infections, certain foods or stress.
allergic asthma symptoms are frequent and severe, including coughing that won’t stop, audible wheezing, fatigue from exertion of breathing, difficulty sleeping and wheezing — an audible high-pitched musical sound produced as air moves through narrowed airways during an attack — that are all hallmarks of allergic asthma.
Anyone exhibiting symptoms should use a rescue inhaler, which contains fast-acting medicines to open their airways, and make an appointment with an allergist immediately. An allergist can identify what’s triggering asthma attacks and devise an action plan to keep symptoms under control.
Diagnosis
People suffering from allergic asthma may notice that their symptoms worsen when exposed to pet dander or pollen. When such triggers come in contact with the lungs, they cause the immune system to overwork itself, leading to lung swelling and producing excess mucus production, making breathing difficult.
Allergies can be one of the leading causes of asthma, so it’s vital that you inform a healthcare provider if you suspect an allergy may be responsible. They will ask about symptoms like when and how long you have experienced them and may order lung function tests such as spirometry and fractional exhaled nitric oxide (FeNO) tests to see if your airways have become inflamed.
If a person’s symptoms improve when avoiding their triggers, this can be taken as a good indication that their condition can be managed through medications and other management tools. These may include steroids to decrease inflammation and bronchodilators to open airways – some can even be inhaled via nebulizer devices! Those living with allergic asthma should carry quick-relief inhalers for use during severe attacks as well as developing an action plan with their doctor for their asthma care plan.
Treatment
Though allergic asthma cannot be completely cured, medication can help manage symptoms. Your treatment plan should involve avoiding allergens that aggravate your symptoms (like pet dander, mold spores or pollen) while taking anti-inflammatories to decrease inflammation.
Your healthcare professional will begin by determining which allergens are causing your symptoms, which may involve allergy testing. Allergens are small particles that irritate airways and make breathing difficult, often released by plants, trees, grasses, weeds or animals such as plants. Some common allergens include pet dander, mold spores, tree and grass pollen as well as ragweed and dust mites – these may all require allergy testing in order to identify properly.
Medication used to control allergies and asthma includes antihistamines such as Azelastine nasal spray (Astepro), Cetirizine pills (Zyrtec), and decongestants like Oxymetazoline nasal spray (Afrin), nasal steroid sprays like Fluticasone (Flonase) which helps lower inflammation in the nose; they may be combined with antihistamines in sprays/tablets such as Azelastine/fluticasone (Dymista); leukotriene modifiers are taken orally which reduce inflammation while decreasing bronchoconstriction; additionally mast cell stabilizers can also help by inhibiting chemical release that leads to tightened airways – other oral medications may help manage allergic asthma including taking mast cell stabilizers which help stop them releasing chemicals which cause tightened airways from tightening up to reduce tightening as well.
Your doctor may suggest immunotherapy, a practice which trains your body to adapt over time and become less reactive to allergens through allergy shots or tablets that dissolve under your tongue.
Prevention
Some allergens (things that cause allergies) can trigger asthma symptoms in certain people. Allergens can be found everywhere from food and pets to air we breathe; when someone with asthma breathes an allergen into their lungs, their immune system responds by producing chemicals called histamines that irritate and narrow airways.
Avoiding allergens that trigger asthma is key to keeping symptoms at bay, such as cigarette smoke. Consider replacing carpeted floors with hardwood or linoleum floors; washing bedding frequently in hot water; and limiting pet populations in your home. Keeping the house clean and mold-free also helps, while using HEPA filters in bedrooms helps decrease dust mites and other allergens.
Antihistamines such as Azelastine nasal spray (Astepro) and Cetirizine pills (Zyrtec) help block histamines to decrease their impact on airway inflammation; decongestants like Oxymetazoline nasal spray (Afrin) or Fluticasone (Flonase) reduce inflammation and congestion, respectively. Healthcare professionals may suggest allergy immunotherapy – gradually exposing oneself to allergens gradually over time in a controlled setting – in order to decrease histamine responses and improve tolerance over time to offending substances.
Keep a record of your asthma and allergy symptoms and visit your physician regularly, checking in about them, so he/she can assess them and discuss ways of managing them together with you.
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