Can Allergic Asthma Be Cured
Unfortunately, allergic asthma cannot be completely cured. However, the right treatment can drastically reduce the impact the condition has on your life or the life of your child. Working with an expert allergist can reduce the likelihood of a severe asthma attack, while also minimizing the main symptoms. In brief avoid allergens, take the medication prescribed by your doctor, and perhaps utilize immunotherapy treatment. These practices will minimize allergic asthma for most patients.
They Can Take A Few Years To Really Work
Allergy shots arent a quick fix: While some people may start to feel better during the build-up phase of their treatment, most people wont experience noticeable improvement until theyve been in the maintenance phase for six to 18 months, says Dr. Dziadzio.
In fact, a 2017 British study found that it took three full years for allergy shots for hay fever to be more effective than placebo shots. The maintenance phase for most allergy shots is usually continued for three to five years. Some patients experience long-lasting relief after that, and some may need continued treatment.
How Can You Tell If You Have Asthma
It can be hard to tell if someone has asthma, especially in children under age 5. Having a doctor check how well your lungs work and check for allergies can help you find out if you have asthma.
During a checkup, a doctor will ask if you cough a lot, especially at night. He or she will also ask whether your breathing problems are worse after physical activity or at certain times of year. The doctor will then ask about chest tightness, wheezing, and colds lasting more than 10 days. He or she will ask whether anyone in your family has or has had asthma, allergies, or other breathing problems. Finally, the doctor will ask questions about your home and whether you have missed school or work or have trouble doing certain things.
The doctor may also do a breathing test, called spirometry, to find out how well your lungs are working by testing how much air you can breathe out after taking a very deep breath before and after you use asthma medicine.
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Who Is Most Likely To Outgrow Asthma
It might be easier to point out who is not likely to outgrow asthma. While most wheezing in early life is due to viral respiratory infections such as the respiratory syncytial virus, differentiating viral illness from asthma can be difficult. Children who experience multiple wheezing episodes before age 3 and contain at least one of the following risk factors are at increased risk of continuing to wheeze:
- Parent with asthma
- Have a diagnosis of eczema
Or 2 of these symptoms:
- Food allergy
- Wheezing episodes not associated with colds
- Elevated levels of eosinophils in the blood
Research at National Jewish Health found that only 6% of children followed for 9 years were considered in complete remission from asthma with no asthma activity meaning no asthma symptoms, medication use, or urgent care visits for asthma.
The following factors have been associated with increased likelihood a period of remission or improving asthma:
- Boys are more likely than girls
- Older the age at diagnosis
- Wheezing only with a cold, but otherwise being symptom-free
- Lower levels and other biochemical indicators of asthma severity
- No diagnosis of allergic diseases like eczema
- Less need for rescue medication and fewer asthma attacks
Allergic Asthma Vs Non
You may be asking, What is the difference between allergic asthma and non-allergic asthma? After all, the symptoms are similar. It turns out the main difference is the cause of symptoms.
For people with allergic asthma, an outdoor or indoor allergen may trigger symptoms. For a person with non-allergic asthma, there may be other triggers. These triggers include smoke, pollutants, exercise, viruses, and many other things. Interestingly, a person with allergic asthma may experience intensified symptoms from these triggers.
People with allergic asthma will require treatment for their asthma symptoms, similar to non-allergic asthma, but they may also require treatment for their allergies.
It is believed that allergic asthma is caused by a combination of genetic and environmental factors. Genetics often play an important role in the development of asthma. Having a family member with asthma or allergies increases the risk of asthma. So understanding your family medical history is important.
What are some other key differences between people with allergic asthma compared to people with non-allergic asthma? Researchers have learned that people with allergic asthma are usually younger and more likely to have positive skin allergen testing than people with non-allergic asthma. People with non-allergic asthma are more likely to be female and develop more severe disease than those with allergic asthma.
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Will I Always Have To Take The Same Amount Of Medicine
Not always. You will probably take more medicine when you begin treatment to get control of your asthma. Work with your doctor to learn which medicine control your asthma best and how much you need. Once your asthma is well-controlled, your doctor may be able to reduce the amount of medicine you take. The goal is to gain control of your asthma as soon as possible and then control it with as little medicine as possible. Once long-term anti-inflammatory therapy begins, your doctor should monitor you every one to six months. This is to see how your asthma medicines are working and if your asthma is well controlled.
Is Allergic Asthma Affected By Climate Change
Climate change poses a danger for people with allergic asthma. This is due to an increase in temperatures impacting the start, duration and intensity of pollen allergy seasons and pollen allergenicity. It is especially problematic for people with allergic asthma triggered by pollen. Extreme weather events, such as thunderstorms, may also lead to allergic asthma attacks.
For people with non-allergic asthma, climate change poses a risk when air quality is poor often due to pollutants in the air.
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Advice For Friends And Family
Its important that your friends and family know how to help in an emergency.
It can be useful to make copies of your personal asthma action plan and share it with others who may need to know what to do when you have an attack.
You can photocopy your existing plan, or you could download a blank personal asthma action plan from Asthma UK and fill it in for anyone who might need a copy.
Or you could take a photo of your action plan on your phone, so you can show or send it to others easily.
Page last reviewed: 19 April 2021 Next review due: 19 April 2024
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How Do I Know If My Infant Or Child Has Severe Asthma
If you are concerned that your infant or childs asthma may be severe, observe their behavior for the indicators below and speak to your healthcare provider right away.
Observe your infant for any of the following indicators of Severe Asthma:
- Sits up, refuses to lie down
- Stops feeding
- Pale or bluish-looking skin anywhere
- Irritable
- Rapid breathing
- Using accessory muscles of breathing-in, drawing of muscles at the neck when breathing it may look like the skin is being tugged in. If you see this, your child must be assessed by a healthcare provider.
Observe your child for any of the following indicators of Severe Asthma:
- Pale looking or bluish looking skin- anywhere
- Breathless
- Irritable
- Peak flow less than 50% of personal best
- Using accessory muscles of breathing-in, drawing of muscles at the neck when breathing it may look like the skin is being tugged in. If you see this, your child must be assessed by a healthcare provider.
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Does Asthma Have Anything To Do With Allergies
The most common type of asthma is allergic asthma, where allergies trigger asthma symptoms. Approximately 8 out of 10 children with allergies also have asthma and roughly 7 out of 10 adults with asthma have at least one allergy. Identifying and avoiding allergens that trigger symptoms is an effective treatment for allergic asthma. You may also be able to reduce asthma symptoms if you can cut down on the number of allergens in your life.
Adult Phenotypes Of Asthma
Late Onset Eosinophilic
Characterized by both clinical and biologic features of later onset, predominately female, and elevated sputum and serum eosinophils. Late-onset eosinophilic asthma is defined clinically by adult-onset, severe disease and is associated with sinusitis and less allergic sensitization compared to early onset disease. Biologically patients have increased IL-5 and IL-13 in the airways and elevated eosinophils in the sputum and serum . No cut off for sputum and serum eosinophils have been universally agreed upon however it is generally accepted that a sputum eosinophil count of > 2% or a serum eosinophil count of > 300 cells/uL indicates eosinophilic asthma . Despite a high prevalence of positive skin prick tests this form of asthma appears to be less allergic but is often associated with sinusitis, nasal polyps, and aspirin exacerbated respiratory disease . A family history of asthma is seen less frequently than those with early onset asthma . This type of asthma can be relatively steroid resistant but biologic therapies targeting T2 pathways have been shown to be highly effective in this group of patients .
Obesity-Related Asthma
Link Between Early Transient Wheeze and COPD
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Will Medicine Help Me Breathe Better When I Exercise
Yes. Exercising, particularly in cold air, may cause airway swelling or exercise-induced bronchoconstriction . Quick-relief asthma medicines, taken before exercise, usually control this. If you need repeated doses of quick-relief medicine during and after exercise talk with your doctor. Your medicines may need to be adjusted. Thanks to these medicines, many Olympic and professional athletes have successful sports careers even with their asthma.
It is important for everyone, including people with asthma, to be as active as possible for good health. Talk with your doctor about how you can be physically active while keeping your asthma well-controlled.
Q: Is Asthma More Dangerous For Adults
A: Yes. The death rate for adult-onset asthma is substantially higher than the death rate for childhood asthma.
One reason may be that adults either ignore asthma symptoms or attribute them to being overweight, being out of shape or getting older.
Asthma symptoms can also mimic those of other illnesses, including:
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Will Medicine Help Me Sleep Better
Yes, if you have nighttime asthma symptoms. Many people wake up with asthma symptoms such as coughing or wheezing. You can control nighttime symptoms by taking asthma medicines as directed by your doctor.
Removing triggers where you sleep may help you sleep better. Many people are allergic to dust mites and mold found in bedding materials. Using mattress or pillow encasements can help contain those allergens. Dehumidifiers can also be helpful to reduce the humidity in your home that dust mites and mold need to exist. Using air cleaners in your bedroom may also help reduce your exposure to allergens and irritants .
Q: How Well Does Treatment Work For Adults With Asthma
Asthma can be more difficult to control in adults for several reasons:
- Asthma medications can be less effective later in life, particularly for those who are obese.
- Oral steroids can worsen glaucoma, cataracts and teoporosis.
- Being on beta-blockers for heart problems can increase the severity of asthma.
- The lungs and chest walls are stiffer and the muscles supporting deep breathing are weaker in adults.
For these reasons, adults with asthma are at increased risk for flare-ups and even hospitalization.
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Benefits Of Allergy Shots
Allergy shots can be effective at reducing allergy symptoms especially for seasonal allergies and allergies to dogs and cats.
For example, a 2016 study published in Annals of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology examined two groups of 65 to 75-year-olds with hay fever triggered by pollen and grass allergies. One group was given allergy shots, while the other received a placebo over the course of three years.
The allergy shot group reported a 55 percent reduction in symptoms of hay fever, like sneezing and itchy eyes, and a reduction of 64 percent in the amount of allergy medication needed for relief.
It can take about six months to a year of allergy shots for someone to notice a change in allergy symptoms, and about two to three years for the treatment to reach its full effect.
For some people, it offers significant improvement, and for others, it provides partial improvement or at least lets them decrease their medications and feel more comfortable in general, says Omid Mehdizadeh, MD, otolaryngologist and laryngologist at Providence Saint Johns Health Center.
Overall, immunotherapy treatment typically spans three to five years, though some people may receive allergy shots for shorter or longer periods of time, depending on how well they respond to the treatment.
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What Types Of Asthma Are There
Healthcare providers identify asthma as intermittent or persistent . Persistent asthma can be mild, moderate or severe. Healthcare providers base asthma severity on how often you have attacks. They also consider how well you can do things during an attack.
Asthma can be:
- Allergic: Some peoples allergies can cause an asthma attack. Molds, pollens and other allergens can cause an attack.
- Non-allergic: Outside factors can cause asthma to flare up. Exercise, stress, illness and weather may cause a flare.
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Eat Some Fresh Grapes
Much like pineapples and lemons, grapes are a great source of vitamin C that prevents you from bacteria causing cough and chest congestion. The natural expectorant properties of grapes make them excellent to cure a cough. You just need to eat some fresh grapes or you can even make some smoothie or fresh juice to cure a cough overnight.
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Can You Develop Asthma And Will It Go Away
Did you know its possible for individuals to outgrow asthma, and for non-affected children to develop asthma as an adult? According to the CDC, asthma affects more than 25 million people in the United States and the prevalence of asthma has been increasing since the early 1980s. As of 2020, about 1 in 13 people have asthma meaning it affects about 8% of the total population.
Calculating…
Did you know its possible for individuals to outgrow asthma, and for non-affected children to develop asthma as an adult?
According to the CDC, asthma affects more than 25 million people in the United States and the prevalence of asthma has been increasing since the early 1980s. As of 2020, about 1 in 13 people have asthma meaning it affects about 8% of the total population.
Its important to understand that childhood asthma is different than adult-onset asthma. In this overview, well explain everything you need to know about all the types of asthma such as how you can develop asthma and if it can go away.
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Children Do Not Outgrow Their Asthma
Its also a misconception that all children outgrow their asthma.
According to the American College of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology, children may experience remission from asthma as adults, but about one-third of children with asthma will have symptoms as adults.
A 2014 study found that its possible to experience a second peak of symptoms later in adulthood.
Medications For Allergic Asthma
Taking steps to control allergens is likely to improve your symptoms. But you may still need allergy and asthma medications to treat attacks.
Try nasal allergy medications that donât make you sleepy, saline rinses, and nasal sprays . If these donât work, use nasal steroid sprays and stronger antihistamines. If none of this helps, it may be time to talk to a doctor about allergy shots.
There are many good asthma treatments, but most require a prescription. These medications include inhaled steroids, which fight inflammation, and bronchodilators, which open up your airways. If traditional treatments donât help your allergic asthma, Xolair, an injectable medication that reduces IgE levels, may help. Also, the long-acting anticholinergic medication called tiotropium bromide may be used in addition to your regular maintenance medications to help with symptom control. This medication can be used by anyone ages 6 years and older.
SOURCES:American Academy of Asthma, Allergy, and Immunology: “What to expect at the doctor’s office,” “How to help your allergies and asthma,” “Allergic asthma information,” “Is your asthma allergic?” American Medical Association, Essential Guide to Asthma, 1998. National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute: “Asthma: How is Asthma Diagnosed?” “How is asthma treated?”Boehringer Ingelheim: “US FDA Expands Approval of Tiotropium Respimat® for Maintenance Treatment of Asthma in Children.”FDA. Prescribing Information: Spiriva Respimat.
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What Is Immunotherapy
Allergen immunotherapy is a form of treatment aimed at decreasing your sensitivity to substances called allergens. These allergens are identified by allergy testing, and are the substances that trigger your allergy symptoms when you are exposed to them. Allergen immunotherapy involves injecting increasing amounts of an allergen to a patient over several months. Immunotherapy has been shown to prevent the development of new allergies and, in children, it can prevent the progression of the allergic disease from allergic rhinitis to asthma. Allergen immunotherapy can lead to the long-lasting relief of allergy symptoms after treatment is stopped.
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What Causes Hives
Generally speaking, hives originates mainly from a certain reaction when a few toxic substances penetrate into the human body and release histamine into the skin blood vessels. Although hives can be triggered by different causes it is agreed that allergies, stress, and infections are three major elements contributing to a potential risk of hives.
- Allergies: Ones body may sometimes find it hard to consume something which is considered as an allergen to the whole development of the body. Such things as nuts, berries, chocolates, shrimps, milk and other dairy products are often responsible for hives.
- Stress: Some people dont think of stress as a big problem. It is not until they are invaded by what stress causes that they take it seriously. It is also the same situation for hives. Dont wait until it happens to you, and then you know how detrimental stress is.
- Infections: It is not very widespread that you are exposed to infections resulting to hives including insect stings, bacterial infections, flower pollen, dust mites or sunlight exposure.
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