Allergic asthma is a chronic condition that causes symptoms including coughing and wheezing, made worse by exposure to allergens like pet dander or pollen.
Allergy testing may help identify which allergens are triggering your symptoms, with treatment options including allergy shots or tablets known as immunotherapy to build tolerance over time to the allergen in question.
Symptoms
symptoms of allergic asthma can be triggered by breathing in allergens like pet dander, mold spores, pollen or dust mites that trigger your immune system into producing IgE antibodies that narrow and swell up your airways, leading to wheezing coughing shortness of breath and other related symptoms. Exercise viral or bacterial infections as well as cold air may exacerbate symptoms further.
Allergens can be found both indoors and outdoors and include pet dander, mold spores, dust mites, tree and grass pollen and cockroach feces as common allergens. Cigarette smoke, air pollutants and chemicals found in household cleaners may also trigger asthma in some people. Food allergies are another common allergen source.
At the core of treatment lies allergen avoidance. Your allergist will provide a tailored plan to reduce allergy-induced asthma. Long-term medications help control inflammation in the airways and make you less sensitive to allergen triggers; they are typically administered via inhalers such as nebulizers or metered dose inhalers. Immunotherapy (allergy shots) has proven highly successful at decreasing sensitization to allergens and decreasing severity.
Allergic asthma symptoms can be life threatening and interrupt daily routines, work, school or social activities. Severe attacks often require emergency medical treatment. While asthma cannot be cured completely, proper management and avoidance of triggers can help reduce its severity and improve quality of life.
Diagnosis
People living with allergic asthma may also have skin conditions like eczema or red, itchy patches on their arms and legs (atopic dermatitis). Studies indicate that early exposure to eczema increases one’s chances of later developing allergic asthma.
Healthcare professionals perform a physical exam and interview a patient about his/her symptoms and family medical history before looking for signs of asthma, including wheezing or difficulty breathing during exercise or when taking deep breaths. Lung function tests such as spirometry and fractional exhaled nitrous oxide measurements will then be conducted to measure how efficiently their lungs are working.
Allergy testing typically includes skin prick tests or blood tests to identify allergens that trigger symptoms, as well as additional testing options such as measuring how much nitric oxide gas exists in your airways or conducting a sputum eosinophils assay to look for certain white blood cells often seen in coughed up sputum from people living with asthma.
Once the cause of your allergy-induced asthma has been identified, steps can be taken to avoid exposure to allergens. You may also benefit from medications designed to manage and control symptoms (fast-acting inhalers or bronchodilators) or immunotherapy that helps your body become less sensitive over time to allergens.
Treatment
Allergens can be the source of asthma symptoms. Common airborne allergens include dust mites, mold spores, pet dander and weed pollen – or they could even be shellfish, eggs or milk that someone is sensitive to. The best approach for managing allergic asthma involves limiting exposure to triggers as well as taking medications which reduce inflammation and improve breathing.
Immunotherapy shots, commonly referred to as allergy shots, can help people with severe allergies control their condition more effectively. Immunotherapy works by decreasing one’s immune response over time to an allergen and helping alleviate symptoms. Other medications used for treating allergic asthma may include short-acting bronchodilators taken via inhaler such as salmeterol, formoterol and vilanterol; long-acting inhaled corticosteroids like Fluticasone Budesonide Mometasone; leukotriene modifiers such as montelukast sodium Zafirlukast and zileuton.
Allergy-related asthma is a long-term disease that requires ongoing medication to keep symptoms under control and stay manageable. Your doctor will review your asthma symptoms to select an effective combination of drugs and dosage based on how effectively they’re controlling them, during regular visits you should bring along a list of your symptoms so they can adjust as necessary. Your physician may also ask questions about lifestyle factors to identify any areas for improvement such as reducing time spent exposed to allergens.
Prevention
Asthma cannot be cured, but there are ways to manage it more effectively. Make sure to take all long-term control medications according to instructions, even when feeling well, get flu and pneumonia vaccinations annually, as these infections can aggravate asthma symptoms for some individuals, and refrain from smoking as this is one of the leading causes.
Stay away from allergens such as pollen, mold spores, dust mites and pet dander as much as possible. Keep windows closed during peak pollen seasons; avoid going outdoors when air quality is particularly irritant; take regular medication – particularly bronchodilators, anti-inflammatory drugs and leukotriene modifiers which reduce chemical release that contribute to lung inflammation – like leukotriene modifiers to manage your symptoms effectively.
Talk to your allergist about food allergies, as they can also trigger asthma and eczema symptoms in some individuals. Infants whose parents or siblings have allergies are also at higher risk for developing these conditions themselves.
Your doctor should create an asthma action plan to help keep your symptoms in check, identify allergy triggers, and come up with a strategy for dealing with them. Knowing when asthma flare-ups appear so you can take immediate steps is also key; signs such as coughing, wheezing, or shortness of breath could indicate this needing immediate action – keep a diary to record these and how anything appears to help or hinder them.
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