Allergies and Asthma

     Allergies and asthma frequently go together.  Asthma is a disease of the bronchial tubes which are responsible for carrying the air in and out of your lungs.  There are different types of asthma.  Anyone is able to get asthma, but it often runs in families.  It is estimated that about 20 million adults and children in the United States alone have asthma, and it continues to become more widespread. 

     Allergic asthma is triggered by an allergy.  About half of the people who have asthma suffer from allergic asthma.  If you have asthma and allergies, the same substances that trigger the symptoms that you experience with allergies can also lead to asthma symptoms, such as wheezing, shortness of breath, and chest tightness. 

     An allergic reaction will affect the lining of your nose and the lining of your airways in a similar way to asthma.  Antibodies become exposed to allergens and trigger allergy symptoms like nasal congestion, skin reaction, scratchy eyes, and in many cases inflammation of the airways.

     Some allergy treatments have the ability to reduce your asthma symptoms.  Allergy shots, or immunotherapy, can help treat your asthma by reducing your immune system's response to the allergens that cause your asthma symptoms. 

     Some medications you can take will work for both asthma and allergies.  Corticosteroids that are nasal sprays can reduce your inflammation from hay fever, and corticosteroid creams put on your skin can reduce inflammation resulting from an allergic skin reaction. Corticosteroids that are inhaled can reduce the inflammation of your bronchial tubes that is the result of asthma.  Singulair is a medication that can help with both your asthma and allergy symptoms.  This medicine helps to regulate your immune system chemicals that are released during an allergic reaction. 

      Normally air is taken into your body through your nose and windpipe and then into your bronchial tubes.  The end of the tubes have tiny air sacs known as alveoli which deliver oxygen to your blood.  These air sacs also collect carbon dioxide, which is then exhaled out of the body.  When breathing is normal, the bands of muscle which surround the airways are relaxed, and so the air moves freely.  When you have an asthma episode or attack, there are changes that will stop the air from moving freely into the airways. First, the bands of muscle that are around the airways tighten, which causes them to narrow.  This is called bronchospasm.  Then the lining of your airways will become inflamed or swollen.  Finally more mucus is produced by the cells that line the airways, and this mucus is thicker than it normally is.  When the narrowed airway occurs, it becomes more difficult for air to go in and out of the lungs effectively.  As a result, people who have asthma often feel like they cannot get all the air they need.  

Symptoms of Asthma

    The symptoms of asthma occur when your airways go through the three changes described.  For some asthmatics, episodes occur rarely, but for others, the symptoms of asthma are present every day.  Some of the common symptoms of asthma include shortness of breath, frequent cough particularly at night, wheezing, and chest tightness, pressure, or pain.  Symptoms can be severe at some points, and not so severe at others.  Mild asthma episodes are most common.  The airways usually open up after a few minutes or a few hours, but severe episodes may require medical help.  Asthmatics must be able to recognize and treat mild symptoms so that severe episodes can be prevented, and the asthma can be kept under control.  If you suffer from allergies and asthma, your asthma symptoms can worsen quickly as a reaction to allergens. 

Early Warning Signs of an Asthma Attack

      It is important to recognize the early warning signs of an asthma attack so that you can prevent a more severe attack.  Some of the early warning signs include losing your breath easily or having shortness of breath, having a frequent cough, particularly at night, feeling tired when you exercise, or wheezing, coughing, or feeling short of breath when exercising, a decrease in your peak expiratory flow, if you have a cold, upper respiratory infection, or are experiencing allergies, or if you are having difficulty sleeping. 

Causes of Asthma

     There are many triggers that may cause asthma symptoms.  These triggers are different for each person, and they often vary.  Common triggers of asthma include:

• Exercise

• Tobacco Smoke

• Air pollution

• Infections which include colds, flu, and sinus infections

• Allergens, such as dust mites, pets, pollens, mold spores, cockroaches, and foods

• Dust

• Strong emotions, like crying, laughing hard, yelling, or anxiety

• Strong odors from chemicals

• Medicines