Are Allergies And Asthma Related?
September 21st, 2008 Subscribe To Our Feed
When we hear of allergy and asthma studies, we often find them lumped together. Is there really a connection between allergies and asthma? To get to the answer to this, we must first learn what allergies and asthma actually are.
Allergies are immune system reactions to things that others would find harmless. Certain foods, pollen, even dust are all considered allergens that can trigger an allergic reaction. The immune system produces antibodies that release chemicals
Asthma is a chronic lung condition, characterized by difficulty in breathing due to extra sensitive or hyper-responsive airways. During an asthma attack, the airways become irritated and react by narrowing and constructing, causing increased resistance to airflow, and obstructing the flow of air to and from the lungs. Common early warning signs of asthma include fatigue, coughing (especially at night), wheezing, difficulty breathing, tightness in the chest, runny nose, and itchy throat.
Allergies, on the other hand, are immune system reactions to things that most people would experience as harmless. Certain foods, dust, pollen … these are allergens that can trigger an allergy attack. When they’re encountered, the body’s immune system produces IgE antibodies to fight the allergen. These antibodies create the release of chemicals into the bloodstream, one of which (histamine) affects the eyes, nose, throat, lungs, and skin, causing the allergy’s symptoms.
So now that we have a better picture of how these two health conditions work, the question becomes … is there a relationship between allergies and asthma?
It’s true that those with certain allergies (usually allergies that affect the nose and eyes, such as dust mites, animal dander, mold or pollen) are more likely to develop asthma than say … those without allergies or those with allergies in other classifications, such as food allergies. But it’s also true that many of those with allergies never develop asthma at all.
In addition, there are other factors that can contribute to a person’s asthma. Unmonitored exercise, for example. Or other illnesses, such as colds or the flu.
Scientists aren’t sure what lies at the root cause of asthma. Various studies are looking at a variety of factors, including air pollution, obesity, and as strange as it might sound, even the lack of exposure to viruses and bacteria in childhood (which may prevent the immune system from growing stronger).
What we do know is that exposure to indoor allergens, pollen, animal dander, grass … in other words, allergy-related factors, are often found in asthmatics. Often, but not always. And it also appears that asthma tends to run in families. If both parents have asthma, there’s actually a 40% probability their children will develop the disease as well.
Current research efforts have been exploring the influence of environmental factors, genetics (as mentioned above), and even stress on asthma. This creates the potential to dramatically reduce a person’s asthma severity levels by altering his or her exposure to the aggravating factors. This can be particularly successful when the culprit is something that’s relatively easy to control. Dust, for instance. Or something only encountered in a work environment. Or, though it’s certainly much more difficult because of the emotional component, a family pet.
Unfortunately, the most common allergy that appears to have a direct influence on asthma is an allergy to dust mites. Eliminating these mites to the extent that it might make a difference in the severity of your asthma requires a major change in lifestyle and can often be quite expensive. That doesn’t mean it can’t be done, only that it’s not as easy as simply staying indoors during the pollen season or switching to a less stressful job.
Of course, new treatments are coming along all the time, and considerable research is currently dedicated to finding ways to modify, abolish or diminish the affect allergies have on the body. It’s believed that with the successful control of allergies can come the successful control of asthma, particularly in younger sufferers.
In the meantime, here’s what we know … asthma can be triggered by allergic reactions, but it can also be triggered by nonallergic reactions. Most asthma attacks result from exposure to allergens such as pollen, household dust, and mold. These attacks can be influenced by indoor or outdoor environments. Because a majority of asthma sufferers are affected by some form of allergies, it’s worth the effort to work closely with your doctor to try to identify and control all potential allergens within your influence.
Allergy symptoms - diagnose and treat
March 29th, 2007 Subscribe To Our Feed
As we all know there are many people in the United States both men, women and children who suffer from allergies. In fact, allergies are the sixth leading cause of chronic illness in the United States. When someone suffers from allergies this can lead to a loss of productivity at work, and an increased amount of sixth time in school and at work. If you are of someone who suffers from allergy sometimes, the allergy attacks can get so bad that you find that they start to affect your daily life. Allergy will also cause you to miss out on things that you would normally enjoy doing. There is good news though. There are many different allergy treatment options available today. So if you suffer from allergy, what you need to do is make an appointment with your doctor so that he or she can help you start to live a better life and have allergy symptoms free days.
The Process of an Allergic Reaction
Allergies occur when the immune system malfunctions, and recognizes a normally harmless substance as a harmful one. When the body comes in contact with the substance that the immune system has deemed as harmful, the body will produce a large number of immunoglobulin antibodies. These antibodies will cause the body to release chemicals such as histamine that will result in itching, increased secretions, swelling and tightening of the airways. The symptoms that you feel as a result of this biological process include watery eyes, runny nose, hives, and coughing. In severe reactions the symptoms can go further in producing difficulty breathing and dizziness. If allergic symptoms become severe, it is called anaphylaxis, and while rare it is also life-threatening. Emergency medical care is required in these circumstances.
Types of Allergies
There are many things that a person can have an allergic reaction to. Hay fever is caused by a reaction to pollen, and can be seasonal or year-round depending on exactly what you are allergic to. Another common culprit is dust mites, which live in dust and other fibers of common household objects. Animal dander is another frequent cause of allergy symptoms, as is mold, latex and some types of foods. Most people will have a reaction to one or two allergens, while a few unlucky souls will suffer symptoms from exposure to a number of culprits. You will have a greater likelihood of developing allergies if you have a parent that suffers from them, or if you have another chronic condition like eczema or asthma. You can also develop an allergy if you are exposed to an allergen while you immune system is compromised, such as during a viral infection or while pregnant.
Many people complain about their allergies, but you have to know that there are many different treatments available for people who suffer from allergies. Some of the treatments can include the use of antihistamines, nasal sprays and decongestants. All of these are taken to relieve the symptoms. There also other options available such as immunotherapy, or these are also known as allergy shots. What the allergy shots do is essentially is “cure” the problem and allow you to have many more symptom-free like days. These also allow you the opportunity to not take as much medication. You need to talk to your doctor if you suffer from allergies. You and your doctor can discuss what the best course of action is for you.
Poor Mental Health, Asthma Risk Linked? (WebMD)
A new study hints at a possible link between poor mental health and the odds of having asthma.
C-Section Might Boost Baby's Asthma Risk (MedicineNet.com)
Title: C-Section Might Boost Baby's Asthma Risk Category: Health News Created: 12/4/2008 2:00:00 AM Last Editorial Review: 12/4/2008
Breathing Exercises Can Help Ease Asthma (MedicineNet.com)
Title: Breathing Exercises Can Help Ease Asthma Category: Health News Created: 12/4/2008 2:00:00 AM Last Editorial Review: 12/4/2008
Docs misdiagnose asthma 30 per cent of the time (Canada.com)
Up to 30 per cent of Canadians diagnosed with asthma may not actually have the chronic, and sometimes deadly condition, according to the surprising findings of a study appearing in the Canadian Medical Association Journal.
C-Section Might Boost Baby's Asthma Risk (HealthDay via Yahoo! News)
WEDNESDAY, Dec. 3 (HealthDay News) -- Children born by Caesarean section are at increased risk of asthma, according to Swiss researchers, who conducted long-term monitoring of the respiratory health of nearly 3,000 infants.
Allergy / Asthma Secrets