May is Asthma and Allergy Awareness Month, and for many of us, it’s the time of year when allergies and allergy-related asthma symptoms can be are at their worst.
What is an allergy?
An allergy is a heightened reaction (known as sensitivity) to a substance or substances (allergens) that are normally harmless. Allergens in the air — like pollen, mold, and cat or dog dander — can trigger a variety of symptoms, including sneezing, runny nose, or itchy/watery eyes. Allergens can also trigger an asthma attack in someone with asthma and allergies (allergic asthma, see below). Although a few patients are allergic to just one substance (for example, cat dander or ragweed) and react whenever they come near that animal or plant, most patients are sensitive to more than one thing. For these patients, symptoms appear only when they are exposed to two or more allergic triggers at once. In these cases effects are cumulative.
Reducing exposure to allergens reduces symptoms
A plan to limit your exposure to allergic triggers can help reduce your symptoms. In addition, experts believe that medical treatments and immunotherapy are more effective if patients also decrease their exposure to allergens. However, it is crucial to know exactly what you are allergic to. Talk with your doctor about which allergic triggers you have, and which tips to follow, based on the results of allergy testing.
What is asthma?
Asthma is a disease of the lungs in which the airways become blocked or narrowed causing breathing difficulty. Asthma is commonly divided into two types:
- Allergic (extrinsic) asthma, characterized by symptoms that are triggered by an allergic reaction. Allergic asthma is airway obstruction and inflammation triggered by inhaled allergens such as dust mite allergen, pet dander, pollen, mold, and is partially reversible with medication. Allergic asthma is the most common form of asthma, affecting over 50% of the 20 million asthma sufferers.
- Non-allergic (intrinsic) asthma is triggered by factors not related to allergies. Like allergic asthma, non-allergic asthma is characterized by airway obstruction and inflammation that is at least partially reversible with medication. However symptoms in this type of asthma are not associated with an allergic reaction. Many of the symptoms of allergic and non-allergic asthma are the same (coughing, wheezing, shortness of breath or rapid breathing, and chest tightness), but non-allergic asthma is triggered by other factors such as anxiety, stress, exercise, cold air, dry air, hyperventilation, smoke, viruses or other irritants.
With proper management, people with asthma can live healthy and active lives.
To learn more about asthma and allergies, and about Asthma and Allergy Awareness Month, visit the Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America.
