Allergy Induced Asthma

You may be surprised to discover that there's a relationship between allergies and asthma. Each can stand on its own, however, allergies often provide the trigger for an asthma attack. This is referred to as allergy induced asthma.

On the allergy side ... if you're exposed to a substance that causes a reaction, your body tends to produce histamines to help rid itself of the substance. These histamines can sometimes cause inflammation of the brochial passages and lungs. The inflammation can make it difficult to breathe. Hence the asthma attack.

But it isn't always easy to tell what's going on. Is it an allergic reaction or an asthma attack?

Or both?

If you've reached the moment when you're asking yourself these questions, then it's time to visit your doctor.

A diagnosis of allergy induced asthma can be difficult to determine, especially for younger children. Your physician will likely take a thorough history to find out if asthma is a family problem. He may or may not try a series of breathing capacity exercises, and he may or may not try a series of allergic dermatitis tests to rule out potential allergens. So the more you know about what triggers your asthma attacks, the more information your doctor will have to work with.

Finally, it's not all bad news. Simply reducing your exposure to allergens at the heart of the problem can often be as effective in controlling allergy induced asthma as corticosteroid inhalers. So you'll want to keep your home – and especially your child’s bedroom if your child is the asthma sufferer – as close to allergen free as possible. Mattress covers, pillow cases, air filters and pest control measures can dramatically reduce your asthma attacks.

If these measures prove ineffective, your doctor may move to asthma medications. You can learn more about what these are, how they work, and how they're delivered elsewhere on this website.

 At A Glance

• Histamines can sometimes cause inflammation of the brochial passages and lungs. The inflammation can make it difficult to breathe. Hence the asthma attack.
• Simply reducing your exposure to allergens at the heart of the problem can often be as effective in controlling allergy induced asthma as corticosteroid inhalers.
• If these measures prove ineffective, your doctor may move to asthma medications.