Allergic asthma can be caused by allergens like pet dander, mold spores, tree pollen or weed pollen and can result in symptoms like wheezing, tightness in the chest and shortness of breath.
There are various medications to treat allergies and asthma. These include rescue inhalers that provide quick symptom relief as well as steroids to decrease inflammation. Allergy immunotherapy – allergy shots or sublingual tablets that dissolve under the tongue – may also help people become less reactive to allergens over time.
Symptoms
Allergic asthma is often brought on by inhaling allergens like dust mites, mold, pet dander, tree pollen, grass pollen or ragweed pollen and its pollen particles; when inhaled these allergens trigger an immune system reaction resulting in swelling airways which cause coughing, wheezing and chest tightness symptoms. On the other hand, other types of asthma can be activated through exercise, cold air exposure, tobacco smoke exposure or respiratory infections.
Allergic asthma symptoms can range from mild to severe, with wheezing (a squeaky sound during breathing) and chest tightness being two of the more prominent ones. While its severity varies between individuals, and may even change over time.
Individuals suffering from allergy-induced asthma often report feeling fatigued and short of breath due to the additional effort required for breathing when airways swell up, necessitating more effortful breathing patterns.
To determine whether allergies are contributing to your asthma symptoms, see a physician. They will review your medical history and perform a physical exam; additionally they may order lung function tests as well as allergy testing – this could include skin and blood samples being collected to detect allergens – which trigger an immune response with antibodies binding to allergens that swell up, leading to breathing difficulties. Allergens could include seasonal pollen from trees, grasses or weeds or year-round sources like mold spores or animal dander being responsible.
Diagnosis
Allergic asthma symptoms typically begin during childhood and are frequently related to eczema or other allergies like hay fever. Allergic asthma symptoms can negatively impact one’s quality of life – in extreme cases an attack could swell airways making breathing difficult, necessitating emergency medical treatment, leaving people tired and exhausted enough to miss school, work or social engagements altogether.
Healthcare professionals typically begin the diagnostic process for allergic asthma by collecting an extensive medical history and conducting a physical exam, asking about frequency of symptoms occurring, what changes make them worse or better and any possible triggers.
Healthcare professionals may perform breathing tests to assess how effectively the lungs are functioning and determine if there is inflammation present, as well as skin tests to identify allergens that could be the source of asthma symptoms; such allergens include pet dander, dust mites, pollen, mold spores and cockroaches – although food allergies can also trigger asthma symptoms in certain individuals.
An IgE blood test can help establish an allergy asthma diagnosis in certain people. With professional guidance and advice available to them, healthcare providers will then be able to suggest ways to minimize allergy triggers while tailoring a personalized treatment plan for managing their asthma symptoms.
Treatment
Many people with allergies also have asthma, which can cause wheezing and difficulty breathing, leading to severe symptoms that could even prove life-threatening if left untreated.
Treatment options for allergic asthma may include medications, avoiding triggers and working with healthcare providers to help manage it. Allergy blood tests and lung function testing may be performed to help doctors identify what allergens you’re reacting to so they can recommend appropriate remedies.
Allergens can cause your immune system to overreact and produce antibodies that attack airways, leading to inflammation and making breathing harder. This condition is known as an allergy and it can be caused by pollen, pet dander or mold spores – or exercise, viral respiratory infections and tobacco smoke among other things!
Your doctor may prescribe long-acting bronchodilators that can be taken via inhaler to keep airways open, or leukotriene modifiers that reduce production of certain inflammatory chemicals in your body and help to prevent tightening of airways. Both options can be taken orally as pills or inhaled and are sometimes combined with anti-inflammatories (e.g. steroids) to further decrease inflammation.
One way you can manage allergy and asthma symptoms is to stay indoors during high pollen counts or use a humidifier when temperatures are cold. Also, work with your physician on creating an action plan so you know when and how often to take your medication, as well as what steps should be taken if symptoms worsen.
Prevention
There are many things people with asthma can do to minimize symptoms. They should avoid anything that triggers their condition, such as allergens like pollen, dust mites and mold; pets with fur or feathers; tobacco smoke and strong odors – these triggers should be identified with healthcare provider in order to limit exposure to them.
Some individuals can experience an asthma attack when exposed to mold spores found in damp environments like basements and bathrooms. Other triggers may include pet dander (dried skin flakes), grass and tree pollen from spring-fall regrowth cycles and animal fur/feathers; chemicals used industrially/occupationally may also exacerbate asthma symptoms in certain people.
People living with allergic asthma should consult with a healthcare provider in order to create an action plan, including medications from both over-the-counter and prescription sources as well as devices like inhalers (usually used by children under 4) that allow direct breathing of medicine into the lungs. They should also get flu shots annually as flu can aggravate asthma for days to weeks; additionally they can inquire with healthcare providers about allergen immunotherapy in which repeated injections of allergens can desensitize immune systems to these triggers.
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