The question is often posed about whether allergies and asthma are connected and some even believe they are the same. The truth is even though a lot of people who have asthma have respiratory allergies it does not mean thought that all asthmatics do. Respiratory allergy symptoms are often sneezing, watery or itchy eyes, coughing, itchy nose and throat and wheezing. As you can see because they are so similar disorders so too are the similarities to the symptoms of asthma. Although asthma is an allergic condition, all asthma attacks are because of allergic factors.
The most difficult or worst symptom of asthma as described by most patients is the difficulty in exhaling due largely to inflamed and restricted air passages often described as like tying to sip through a straw you have pinched halfway down the middle of it. What the medical profession refers to as allergic asthma affects more children and adolescents than adults but it can affect people of all ages. It is also believed that the allergic asthma conditions may be traced to family history and be hereditary. It can also be either seasonal or non-seasonal but the seasonal is the more common form between the two of them. It is basically caused by inhaling of pollens, moulds and eating certain fruits and vegetables. House dust allergy appears to be caused by a mite found in house dust. Adults take in about 12 to 20 breathes per minute, children 20 to 60. It is then that we inhale a wide variety of possible airborne allergens that could trigger allergic asthma. Non-seasonal asthma could be a result of allergens such as feathers, pet dander, foods and some medicines.
Allergy asthma like other forms of asthma can make you feel miserable in its milder stages due to inflammation of the air passages and this is triggered by one or more allergens. If you have allergy asthma you are also at risk of other allergy associated diseases such as hay fever and even eczema. If you suspect you have either allergies or asthma you should make an appointment with your family doctor as soon as possible. Tests can be done to find out what you are allergic to and when these triggers are discovered than you can work at eliminating and or avoiding them. If asthma is diagnosed the doctor can work with both the allergies and asthma to come up with an asthma action plan to ensure you can get your allergies and asthma under control and keep it there.
Food allergies are exaggerated immune responses triggered by such common foods as eggs, peanuts and even milk. The bodies own immune system would normally protect it from bacteria, viral infections, and toxins but in a food allergic reaction the body’s immune system overreacts to something that we would normally consider harmless like a specific food.
A new study even discovered that the chlorine used in most swimming pools, especially the indoor pools is becoming a major asthma and allergy trigger. Children hanging out at the pool for 100 hours or more that was disinfected by using chlorine had a greater percentage of nasal and pulmonary allergy attacks and if they spent more than 1,000 hours they had more risk of asthma attacks. A test group only swimming in a copper-silver ionizer filter did not experience any significant amount of allergy or asthma attacks.
In America alone over 38 million citizens have allergies, asthma and eczema and is responsible for 5,000 deaths, 20 million hospital as well as 20 million doctors visits and $20 billion dollars in medical expenses and they are increasing at an alarming rate.
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