Having allergic asthma feels like you’re always trying to hide from an invisible attacker. Pollen, pet dander, mold spores, and other triggers can come out of nowhere, setting off an asthma attack that (literally) leaves you breathless.
Luckily, working with your doctor to find the best allergic asthma treatment for you can be a huge help. There’s a wide range of medications to choose from, so if one isn’t a great fit, you can keep trying other options until you identify one that does.
But what does that process really look like? First, it’s helpful to understand what allergic asthma actually is, so you have a better idea about how triggers can play a role in your symptoms. Ahead, experts break down the basics of the condition, including a deep dive into the various allergic asthma treatments that can offer relief when you need it the most.
What is allergic asthma, exactly?
Every allergy starts with your immune system, according to the American Academy of Allergy Asthma & Immunology (AAAAI). When an outside substance like pollen or pet dander enters the body, most people don’t experience an allergic reaction because their immune system understands it isn’t harmful. But in people who do experience an allergic reaction, the immune system goes a bit wonky and starts producing antibodies to “fight” off these substances, because it’s interpreting them as a possible threat to your body, even though they aren’t.
Asthma, on the other hand, is a chronic lung condition that directly impacts your airways, which are tubes that carry air to and from your lungs, per the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI). When you have asthma, these tubes can become inflamed and narrowed. Certain triggers can set off asthma symptoms, like wheezing, coughing, or chest tightness.
It’s important to note that not everyone with allergies has asthma and vice-versa. But certain allergens can trigger asthma symptoms and attacks in some people. This is defined as allergic asthma, which is actually the most common type of asthma in the U.S., according to the Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America (AAFA).
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For example, if cat hair is an allergic asthma trigger for you and you enter a room that has a cat in it, you may have to immediately leave to prevent the onset of symptoms, Catherine Monteleone, M.D., an allergist-immunologist at Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson Medical School, tells SELF.
What does allergic asthma feel like?
The symptoms of allergic asthma are what you’d experience with other forms of asthma; Dr. Monteleone says, “The trigger is just different.” Allergic asthma symptoms can include1:
However, symptoms really depend on the person, Evan Li, M.D., assistant professor of medicine in immunology, allergy, and rheumatology at Baylor College of Medicine, tells SELF. “Mild allergic asthmatics can have no symptoms for most of the year, but when pollen season hits, they can develop wheezing, chest pressure, cough, and/or shortness of breath in addition to runny nose, sneezing, and nasal congestion if pollen is a personal trigger,” he explains. “Others can have very severe symptoms such as year-round coughing, shortness of breath, and/or wheezing that is worsened by exposure to environmental allergens such as pollen or dust.”
Is allergic asthma curable?
There is no cure for asthma, including allergic asthma, Tiffany Owens, M.D., an allergist and immunologist at The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center, tells SELF.
Source: SELF
