Links between Asthma and Allergies

The link betwee
Asthma and Allergies I believe is a very important.

Understanding medicine is a complex business that requires years ofrnstudy, often to prove beyond a shadow of doubt things that sufferers ofrnillnesses have long accepted as fact.

I know from hard evidence that allergies play a big role in asthma. Myr
Daughter is allergic to cats – getting near a cat causes asthma attacksrnso bad, she can be hospitalised. Plus she is allergic to other thingsrnthat can trigger attacks. So let’s explore further …

Over recent years Asthma and allergic diseases have increasedrndramatically. In fact Australia has the second highest prevalence ofrnasthma in the world; 1 in 4 children, 1 in 7 teenagers and 1 in 10rnadults. The reasons for this are unclear. However, we do know thatrnaccording to 2005 stats:

Around 4 in 10 Australians had allergic disease and more than 8 in 10
Australians with asthma had positive allergy test results.

Now that is only in Australia – what would the stats be worldwide??

So, what exactly is an allergy?

An Allergy occurs when a person’s immune system reacts to substances inrnthe environment that do not bother most people.

These substances are known as allergens and are found in house dustrnmites, pets, pollen, moulds, and foods.

These people who are allergic to such things are said to be atopic andrnmay have a genetic tendency to develop allergic diseases. When atopicr
People are exposed to allergens they can develop an immune reaction thatrnleads to allergic inflammation (redness and swelling).

This can then cause symptoms in the:

* Nose and/or eyes – allergic rhinitis/conjunctivitis (hay fever)

* Skin – eczema, hives

* Lungs – Asthma

So what Role does Allergies play in Asthma?

Most people with asthma are atopic meaning they suffer from allergies
and allergens may be that VERY important trigger factor that can makerntheir Asthma worse.

Let us look at a couple of examples – I know causes attacks.

When a person -

* vacuums or dusts as this causes house dust mite allergens tornbecome airborne

* visit a house where a cat lives (as in the case with myr
Daughter)

* Is outdoors when there are high levels of pollen in the air.

* visits cities with high pollution levels

Then unfortunately, there can be what I would call – Occupational Asthmar
Triggers –

* Health care workers allergic to things like hand sanitizers,
gloves etc

* Bakers allergic to flour dust.

* Builders allergic to concrete

* Waitresses allergic to coffee beans

The list can go on.

Some Asthma triggers you cannot control, however, exposure to somernallergic triggers can be reduced or just plain avoided, after allrnimproved control of your asthma must be paramount.

If you or a family member suffers from Asthma, you should have a goodrnmanagement plan and be working with your Specialist Physician tornminimise attacks – many of these Physicians may even ask that thernsufferer undergo some allergy tests so a clearer picture of asthmarntriggers can be known.

For today that is all I have for you on Links betwee
Asthma andr
Allergies

I wish you and your family the best of health!

Disclaimerr
It is important to note that information contained in this post is notr
Intended to replace professional medical advice. Any questions regardingr
A medical diagnosis or treatment should be directed to a medicalr
Practitioner

Take Care,
Love and Light

Maggie