What is Allergy-Induced Asthma?

Did you know that allergies can trigger asthma? Yes, it’s true. Allergy-induced asthma is the most common form of asthma in the United States, affecting about 60% of all asthma sufferers in the nation. Also known as extrinsic asthma, allergic asthma is airway obstruction that is partially reversible with medication. Common triggers of allergic asthma are dust mites, pet dander, pollen and mold.

What happens when you get exposed to these triggers is that your airways (the tubes that air flows in and out of your lungs) become inflamed and begin to constrict, causing you to have difficulty breathing. These same airways will also get flooded with thick mucus which is meant to protect the airways and your lungs from the ‘foreign invader’. In essence, your immune system is trying to keep your body safe from the trigger. Symptoms for extrinsic asthma are similar to those of instrinsic (or non-allergic) asthma.

These include:

  • coughing,
  • wheezing,
  • shortness of breath,
  • rapid and/or shallow breathing,
  • tightness of the chest, etc.

Other irritants can make your allergic asthma attack worse even though you may not be technically allergic to them. These irritants are:

  • tobacco smoke,
  • smoke from a fireplace, candle, incense and/or fireworks,
  • air pollution,
  • cold air, especially if you are engaged in vigorous exercise outside,
  • perfumes,
  • air fresheners,
  • basically any heavily-scented product,
  • dusty spaces
  • and more.

In order to determine whether your asthma is allergic or non-allergic in nature, he or she can perform a skin or blood test. In a skin test, the doctor, usually a specialist called an allergist or immunologist, will stick you with a little bit of the suspected allergen. If a bump or welt forms, then you’re considered allergic, depending upon the severity of your response. A blood test will determine your allergen-specific IgE (immunoglobulin, aka hypersensitivity) levels.

If you discover that your asthma is allergy-induced, then you will want to take steps to eliminate your exposure to your allergens. For some tips on reducing indoor allergens, click here. For outdoor allergies, it’s best to check out a resource like Pollen.com to see which allergens are high and stay indoors during peak allergy times of the day – usually early in the morning and late afternoon.

In some cases, your doctor will prescribe certain medications to help you with your allergy-induced asthma such as inhaled steroids, pills such as Singulair and broncholidators like Albuterol and Advair. On occasion, you may need to take a Prednisone for several days to treat a severe asthma attack. Of course, there are also wonderful over the counter remedies including nasal sprays, non-sedative antihistamines like Claritin and Zyrtec and alternative treatments such as acupuncture and herbal remedies. Allergy shots may be considered a course of action you and your allergist may decide to take.

It all depends on the level of discomfort your feel with your allergy-induced asthma, the severity of your symptoms and so forth. Extrinsic asthma is a difficult condition to get a handle on, but it is a manageable on especially once you learn what items trigger your attacks and how you can reduce your expose to (or avoid) them.

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