Do you feel different after inhaling something? Maybe allergen is the culprit.
More and more people are getting asthma, particularly allergic asthma. Your body will respond to an allergen by releasing a substance called immunoglobulin E (IgE) that can swell your lungs and will make you hard to breathe. Allergic asthma is the most common type of asthma as it simply enters your body quickly due to allergens being present everywhere.
Causes
Allergens are the particles that cause allergic reaction and they are the following:
- pet dander
- pollen
- tobacco smoke
- dust mites
- air pollution
- scented products
- strong chemical odors
- chemical fumes
Symptoms
Having an allergy in the early years or later years of your life makes no difference. You should consider monitoring yourself before performing any action. If you are unsure that you have an allergic asthma, you can watch out for these symptoms:
- wheeze
- cough
- shortness of breathing
- chest tightness
- fast breathing
Diagnosis and Treatment
For an accurate diagnosis, you may go directly to a doctor for a consultation before he can perform a test to determine if you are really having an allergic asthma.
There are two main ways of how you can be relieved depending on the severity. If you have mild allergic asthma, you can opt to do a home medication that includes:
- using a vacuum cleaner with HEPA Filter
- cleaning your house with mild cleansers to minimize dust
- washing bedding and pillows regularly
- using allergen-proof bed coverings
- putting humidifier or air conditioner
If you have a more serious allergic asthma, your doctor can prescribe medicines such as:
- Cetirizine (Zyrtec)
- Fexofenadine (Allegra)
- Loratadine (Claritin)
- Levocetirizine (Xyzal)
- Inhaler (short-acting or long-acting)
- Corticosteroid
- Leukotriene modifier
Conclusion
The risk of having a severe allergic asthma is dangerous. Possible problem may arise like developing anaphylaxis. It can also be life-threatening if left untreated and may cause complications like pulmonary arrest, cardiac arrest, low blood pressure and abnormal heart rate.
Allergic asthma can greatly affect one’s physical activities. While you can treat the symptoms, you can’t really cure asthma. It is very important to prevent and to avoid the allergens that trigger allergic reaction.