Asthma and Allergies, A Dangerous Combination

Asthma is a respiratory disease that is caused by inflammation of the airways and results in shortened breath and labored breathing. Allergies can also affect the respiratory system by causing wheezing, difficulty breathing and swollen airways. Asthma and allergies go hand-in-hand. One is usually caused by the other and can also make the symptoms worse.

Asthma and allergies are common problems that millions of people deal with on a regular basis. Asthma is normally diagnosed at an early age, but can develop at anytime throughout your life. Allergies can come and go and can also change many times. If you are not allergic to something now, it doesn’t mean you won’t be later on in life.

Allergies are often the cause of an asthma attack. When you breathe a harmful allergen in, the immune system often fights it off by tightening the airways to prevent it from entering the body further. When the airways tighten, it is harder to breath and may result in wheezing. If you suffer from asthma, you will likely have an asthma attack.

Finding relief from the combination of asthma and allergies can sometimes be difficult. You will have to start by stopping symptoms before they start. This could be done with the help of antihistamines, but you may have to take it a step further. After speaking with your doctor, you will most likely start taking an oral corticosteroid. This form of treatment will help reduce the inflammation in the airways. It will also prevent the inflammation from happening during future outbreaks. However, this form of medication should only be taken short term. Another treatment option for people that suffer from both allergies and asthma would be allergy shots. Allergy shots help fight off the allergen altogether. You are injected with a small amount of the harmful allergen and over time you build up a tolerance to it. If the threat is no longer present, you will not get the negative reaction.