Happy National Asthma & Allergy Awareness Month, although those that suffer from Asthma and/or Allergies knows that happy is not what you would describe it as.
I was born with Asthma but did not develop heavy allergies until I was in my teens when I had a horrible allergy episode. It was not fun and has not been fun ever since. Suffering from Asthma is hard enough but when you have a double dose (Asthma & Allergies), life is down right miserable especially during allergy season. Unfortunately, I passed that burden onto my son who also suffers from both. The only upside in that is, because I go through it, I can help him through it.. Let's first discuss Asthma...
Asthma is a chronic disease that inflames the airways. This means that people with asthma generally have inflammation that is long lasting and needs managing. An asthma episode, also called an asthma flare-up or asthma attack, can happen at any time. Mild symptoms may only last a few minutes while more severe asthma symptoms can last hours or days.
There is no cure for asthma and allergies, and many deaths are preventable with proper treatment and care. Ten people a day die from asthma. Asthma affects more than 24.5 million Americans. More than 6 million children under the age of 18 have asthma. More than 50 million Americans have all types of allergies – pollen, skin, latex and more. The rate of allergies is climbing. Please join us in raising awareness for these common diseases.
Asthma Symptoms
Asthma symptoms are different for everyone and depend on the severity of the disease. However some common symptoms are coughing, shortness of breath, wheezing and chest tightness. Asthma may lead to a medical emergency. It is important to know the signs of a severe asthma episode (or asthma attack).
Common symptoms of asthma include:
- Coughing
- Wheezing (a whistling, squeaky sound when you breathe)
- Shortness of breath
- Rapid breathing
- Chest tightness
Sometimes symptoms can be mild, whereas other times they can be serious enough to cause you to have to stop what you are doing. In very severe cases, asthma symptoms can be life threatening. During severe asthma attacks, the airways can narrow so much that not enough oxygen can get into the blood traveling to vital organs.
For me, at times I would get the coughing and most times I would get the tight feeling in my chest and back. Over the years, I have learned how my body works and knows when it is time for a treatment or my Asthma pump.
Asthma may lead to a medical emergency.
Seek medical help immediately for:
- Fast breathing with chest retractions (skin sucks in between or around the chest plate and/or rib bones when inhaling)
- Cyanosis (very pale or blue coloring in the face, lips, fingernails)
- Rapid movement of nostrils
- Ribs or stomach moving in and out deeply and rapidly
- Expanded chest that does not deflate when you exhale
- Infants with asthma who fail to respond to or recognize parents
What Happens During an Asthma Episode?
During normal breathing, the airways to the lungs are fully open. This allows air to move in and out of the lungs freely. Asthma causes the airways to change in the following ways:
- The airway branches leading to the lungs become overly reactive and more sensitive to all kinds of asthma triggers
- The linings of the airways swell and become inflamed
- Mucus clogs the airways
- Muscles tighten around the airways (bronchospasm)
- The lungs have difficulty moving air in and out (airflow obstruction: moving air out can be especially difficult)
- These changes narrow the airways. Breathing becomes difficult and stressful, like trying to breathe through a straw stuffed with cotton.
Why Does My Asthma Act Up at Night?
Uncontrolled asthma — with its underlying inflammation — often acts up at night. It probably has to do with natural body rhythms and changes in your body’s hormones. The important thing to know about nighttime asthma is that, with proper management, you should be able to sleep through the night.
What Causes or Triggers Asthma?
People with asthma have inflamed airways which are sensitive to things which may not bother other people. These things are "triggers."
Asthma triggers vary from person to person. Some people react to only a few while others react to many.
If you have asthma, it is important to keep track of the causes or triggers that you know provoke your asthma. Because the symptoms do not always occur right after exposure, this may take a bit of detective work. Delayed asthma episodes may occur depending on the type of trigger and how sensitive a person is to it.
Environmental Asthma Triggers
Substances that cause allergies (allergens) can trigger asthma. If you inhale something you are allergic to, you may experience asthma symptoms. It is best to avoid or limit contact with known allergens to decrease or prevent asthma episodes.
Common allergens that cause allergic asthma include:
- Air pollution
- Dust mites
- Mold (indoor and outdoor)
- Animal dander, saliva and urine
- Cockroach allergen
- Smoke from tobacco or burning wood or grass
- Rodents
Irritants in the Air
Irritants in the environment can also bring on an asthma episode. Although people are not allergic to these items, they can bother inflamed, sensitive airways:
- smoke from cigarettes
- air pollution such as smog, ozone, and others
- wood fires
- charcoal grills
- strong fumes, vapors, or odors (such as paint, gasoline, perfumes and scented soaps)
- dusts and particles in the air
- chemicals
- Respiratory Illness
- colds
- flu (influenza)
- sore throats
- sinus infections
- pneumonia
- Tree, grass and weed pollen
- Extreme changes in air temperature
- Ozone alert days, which occur when temperatures pass 90 degrees and winds are less than 10 miles per hour
- anger
- fear
- excitement
- laughter
- yelling
- crying
If you are sensitive to aspirin and NSAIDs (nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs)
If you take medicines known as beta blockers – they can also make asthma harder to control
Respiratory infections are the most common asthma trigger in children.
Exercise
Exercise and other activities that make you breathe harder can affect your asthma. Exercise—especially in cold air—is a frequent asthma trigger. Exercise-induced bronchoconstriction (EIB) is a form of asthma that is triggered by physical activity. It is also known as exercise-induced asthma (EIA). Symptoms may not appear until after several minutes of sustained exercise. (If symptoms appear sooner than this, it usually means you need to adjust your treatment.) With proper treatment, you do not need to limit your physical activity.
Seasonal Asthma Triggers
Dry wind, cold air or sudden changes in weather can sometimes bring on an asthma episode.
Feeling and Expressing Strong Emotions
When you feel strong emotions, your breathing changes – even if you don’t have asthma. It may cause wheezing or other asthma symptoms in someone with asthma.
Medicines
Some medicines can also trigger asthma:
While asthma is commonly known to affect the large airways, many recent asthma studies have shown how inflammation of the small airways contributes to asthma symptoms too. If a long-term control medicine does not reach or treat both the large and small airways, underlying chronic inflammation may persist.
There are different ways to control Asthma and the above picture tells the different ways. Also be in mind that if you are asthmatic and get a bad cold it is best to NOT take over the counters drugs for colds because it does not help only hinders your health. I learned that the hard way. Finally, a doctor informed me that the best medication is the asthma breathing treatment because it breaks down the mucous and opens up your airways. Try it next time, you will see it works wonders.
They go hand in hand.
Allergies are one of the most common chronic diseases. A chronic disease lasts a long time or occurs often. An allergy occurs when the body’s immune system sees a substance as harmful and overreacts to it. The substances that cause allergic reactions are allergens. When someone has allergies, their immune system makes an antibody called immunoglobulin E (IgE). These antibodies respond to allergens. The symptoms that result are an allergic reaction.
- 38 percent of adults with seasonal allergies felt that their symptoms were becoming more severe.
- Almost three out of four (74%) allergy sufferers had an idea what over-the-counter treatment options were available, but many didn't know what prescriptions were available (55%), what their allergy triggers were (37%), or how to help their allergy symptoms (36%).
- Only 47% of adults surveyed visited a doctor for advice or got a prescription for an allergy treatment from a doctor before allergy season.
- A large majority of parents of children with seasonal allergies (nearly nine-in-ten parents) worried about a severe allergy season more than their child's report card.
What Are the Types of Allergens?
- Drug (medicine)
- Food
- Insects that sting (bee, wasp, fire ant); bite (mosquito, tick); or are household pests (cockroach and dust mite)
- Latex
- Mold
- Pet (dog or cat urine, saliva and dander)
- Pollen
Good allergy treatment is based on your medical history and the severity of your symptoms. It can include three different treatment strategies: avoidance of allergens, medication options and/or immunotherapy (a treatment to train your immune system not to overreact).
The best way to prevent an allergic reaction is to avoid your allergens. It sounds so easy, but you can’t always avoid them. For example, it’s not possible to avoid all outdoor activities if you’re allergic to bees and wasps. But there are steps you can take to reduce your chances of being stung and you can carry the medicine you will need if you are stung. It is important to prepare and have an allergy action plan.
In closing, each year if you suffer from Asthma or Allergies or both please be sure to pay attention to your symptoms and your body and take care of you. Both can be very much life threatening.
Signing out
~ Destiny Shaw M.D.
Big Sister On Point
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