What is Allergy Induced Asthma ?

Allergy induced asthma is one of the most common forms of asthma. Normally, when anybody is exposed to an allergen, the body reacts by producing histamines. This is turn causes heavy swelling and brings on a terribly scratchy feeling. Since the asthmatic person ’ s lungs are dysfunctional, the asthmatic person will suffer an asthma attack. This type of asthma is known as allergy induced asthma .

How do you Diagnose Allergy Induced Asthma ?

There are different ways to diagnose allergy induced asthma in children and adults. Since children (especially very young ones) find it difficult to follow instructions, doctors usually diagnose the disease with the help of the medical history of the child, the family medical history and a bronchodilator. If the child finds this useful, then the diagnosis for allergy induced asthma is confirmed.

In adults, the asthma is diagnosed the normal way, which is with the help of breathing tests and the Spiro meter to find out how far and how acute the disease is. The allergy induced asthma is further confirmed through an allergen test.  It would be helpful if the person who is suffering from asthma has an idea about what type of allergy they suffer from.

How to Treat Allergy Induced Asthma

The good news is that this type of asthma is not very acute and often can be treated by simply removing the person from the allergy area, or removing the allergen from the presence of the person. In order to keep the house free from any allergens, special attention should be paid to the mattress and pillows where the person or child sleep. Eventually, one can buy dust proof mattress and pillows to ensure that the allergy induced asthma does not worsen due to further exposure.

A few triggers that one should watch out for are, pollen (this is one of the major allergens in asthma patients), mold, dust mites (from mattress, covers and sofa sets that are not dusted well), dander from pets, cockroaches (and their droppings), cigarette smoke, sudden cold air drafts, strenuous exercise, sudden excitement and so on. It is helpful if parents keep a diary for when their kids suffer from an attack so that they can pinpoint the allergen early on.

The main effort in keeping the asthma patient free of symptoms is to be able to avoid the above-mentioned allergens, by keeping them away from the patient. This should be completed with the medication prescribed by the doctor, whether it is inhalers, nebulizers or oral medication.