Allergic asthma develops when allergens (pollen, dust mites and pet dander) cause airway irritation. The immune system responds by producing chemicals which narrow airways and produce mucus to make breathing difficult.
Healthcare professionals can detect allergic asthma by reviewing medical histories and conducting lung tests. Medication can treat symptoms and help prevent attacks by decreasing inflammation in the airways.
Diagnosis
As soon as people with allergic asthma inhale allergens, their airways go into overdrive and become inflamed and swollen – leading to symptoms like coughing, wheezing and tightness of the chest – these symptoms may become serious enough to require emergency medical treatment and can even result in life-threatening attacks that require hospitalization. Allergic asthma most frequently affects children; however it can affect anyone regardless of age, race or family background and even run in families; moreover people who have allergic asthma are likely to also have other inflammatory skin conditions like eczema/hay fever/Vocal cord dysfunction/Sinusitis than nonallergic individuals; moreover they’re more likely to have other respiratory disorders like vocal cord dysfunction/Sinusitis than nonallergic individuals due to respiratory disease; thus making their condition more likely than not having other respiratory conditions like vocal cord dysfunction/Sinusitis etc.
Allergens that can trigger allergic asthma are everywhere – indoor and outdoor environments alike. Common allergens include animal dander, fur or skin flakes; mold spores; tree, grass and weed pollen; saliva from cockroaches, and the saliva and feces from them as well as food allergens like milk, eggs, shellfish, wheat products, peanuts or tree nuts – making an allergic response inevitable for anyone exposed.
Healthcare providers typically diagnose allergy-induced asthma by reviewing a person’s medical history and conducting a physical exam, asking about symptoms that appear worsened by environmental triggers as well as testing lung function with tests like spirometry or fractional exhaled nitric oxide (FeNO). They may also conduct allergy testing through skin prick or blood tests.
Treatment
As soon as allergens enter the body, they provoke an immune response that can release inflammatory mediators like histamine and leukotrienes to narrow airways and produce mucus. Long-term inflammation causes changes to occur which make breathing harder for those living with allergic asthma.
An anti-inflammatory response can be managed with medications. Quick relief medicines, like inhalers containing short-acting beta agonists (SABAs), help open airways when symptoms appear. Other effective asthma treatments include bronchodilators that relax muscle around the airways; anti-inflammatory steroids that reduce inflammation; and leukotriene modifiers that decrease airway swelling. People suffering from allergies may benefit from immunotherapy which teaches their bodies over time to tolerate allergens; this therapy can either be taken orally in pill or liquid form; or through injection (allergy shots).
Other treatments may help enhance one’s quality of life and decrease frequency and severity of symptoms, including over-the-counter allergy medicines, nasal sprays, decongestants, and saline rinses to reduce mucus production. Individuals suffering from allergic asthma should work closely with their physician to develop an asthma action plan with specific response steps for when symptoms reach either “yellow zone” (when mild but not yet serious symptoms are experienced) or red zone (when breathing becomes increasingly difficult) stages; those experiencing severe attacks must seek emergency medical help immediately as untreated attacks could prove fatal –
Prevention
One can manage asthma symptoms effectively by adhering to a physician-recommended treatment plan that includes medications and avoidance of triggers. Furthermore, regular symptom monitoring with healthcare providers and follow-up appointments with them are vitally important to ensure symptoms remain under control.
Numerous factors contribute to allergic asthma, including genetics and environmental exposures. Allergens can trigger inflammation and narrowing of airways at any age; individuals can take steps to limit exposure by washing clothes regularly, vacuuming floors regularly and dusting furniture; as well as avoiding chemicals which irritate breathing by irritating airways (often found industrial settings, thermal printer receipts or food and beverage containers).
Your doctor can assist in diagnosing the causes of allergic asthma through an examination and series of tests, including lung function testing (skin and blood) as well as allergy testing (skin and blood). Allergy testing may reveal seasonal allergies to trees, grasses, weeds or year-round allergies to animal dander, mold or house dust as well as IgE allergies that lead to “the Atopic March,” which involves progressions such as food allergy, eczema and allergic rhinitis before finally culminating with asthma diagnosis.
Follow-up
One common cause of asthma and allergy flareups are viral infections such as colds or the flu. You can avoid them by getting an annual flu shot, frequently washing hands with soap and water or alcohol-based hand sanitizers and getting regular flu shots. Also avoid allergens like pollen, mold and pet dander as these trigger asthma flareups; check air quality indices daily to stay indoors when high indices exist, avoid exercising during peak pollen times or during cold windy weather to minimize asthma flareups while taking quick-relief medicines when necessary to manage symptoms effectively.
GINA 2016 guidelines recommend that patients be seen for step-up/step-down management 1-3 months post-startup treatment and then every 3-12 months for ongoing monitoring and self-management skills training as well as medication adherence monitoring.
The SAAS study demonstrated that 29 of 203 new adult-onset asthma patients experienced only one scheduled contact over their 12-year follow-up period, using more oral corticosteroid courses, collecting more SABA canisters and experiencing more symptoms, exacerbations and health care usage than patients who received regular follow-up contacts. Heavy alcohol consumption was found to correlate negatively with participation in scheduled asthma follow-up contacts even after being adjusted for age, sex, pack years, BMI and form of residency – even after accounting for age, sex pack years BMI and form of residency
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