Immune system protects human body from contact with harmful bacteria and viruses. Allergy makes body begin to fight with even harmless substances. This happens due to immunoglobulin production disorder. Its level in blood rises and consequently sensitivity to allergens increases by producing histamine.
Allergic asthma is the most common form of asthma, expressed by respiratory hypersensitivity to certain allergens. Inhaling an allergen, the body receives a signal about stimulus, triggering immune system reaction, resulting in sharp muscles contraction located around airways. This process is called bronchospasm. As a result, muscles become inflamed and the body starts to produce thick and viscous mucus.
According to Asthma Inhalers Online statistics, allergy is a disease of modern times. Over 90% of children and 50% of adult population of large cities suffer from allergic reactions.
Every person suffering from allergic asthma is experiencing approximately the same conditions as that of other types: deterioration of health due to exercise in cold air, after inhaling smoke, dust or sharp smells.
Allergens are quite common in environment, so it is important to timely identify range of main irritants, thus preventing symptoms aggravation and disease progression into a more severe form.
Allergic Asthma Symptoms
Symptoms of allergic asthma are associated primarily with respiratory work, and represent the following features:
- cough appearance;
- breathing is accompanied by whistling;
- severe dyspnea;
- breaths become more frequent;
- pain in the chest;
- tightness in the chest.
These are main symptoms, which may cause any of common allergens:
- flower pollen (or pollen from trees and plants, for example, poplar fluff);
- particles of mold spores;
- animal hair or saliva (the same category include particles of skin and feathers);
- dust mite feces.
Allergic reactions may be caused by any contact with substance-irritant. For example, once scratch will entail local itching and skin redness. In extreme cases, real danger may be caused in contact with such substances with human body, because it may cause immediate anaphylactic shock emergence, which is a serious asthma attack.
Atopic asthma mechanism can be started not only by allergens. They are able to cause asthma attack, not allergic reaction itself.
Then asthma attack cause is nothing but inhaled particles-irritants in the air,:
- tobacco smoke;
- smoke from candles (including aromatic), fireplace or fireworks;
- polluted air;
- cold air (including physical exercises in the open air);
- smells of chemicals and their fumes;
- perfume;
- dust.
Atopic asthma severity depends on symptoms severity: mild, moderate or severe.
Allergic Asthma at Children
Allergic asthma manifestations at children can appear in different age periods, but most often the disease affects child’s body after one year old. Allergic reactions of different etiology are major risk factor.
Atopic asthma in childhood has unpleasant feature – it can hide under obstructive bronchitis symptoms. To identify asthma is possible by number of disease manifestations during one year. If bronchial obstruction appears more than four times a year – this is a serious reason to see a doctor or allergist-immunologist.
Specific of atopic asthma treatment at children is paramount importance of inhaler as primary means. Such procedures not only help to eliminate allergen that triggered disease mechanism, but also increase body’s defenses.
Allergic Asthma Attack
Allergic asthma attack is considered such human immune system reaction, whereby in response to exposure to an allergen bronchospasm appears. It is what is called asthma attack, accompanied by contraction of muscle tissues surrounding airways. Because of this pathological condition muscles become inflamed and filled with viscous thick mucus. This sharply limits oxygen supply to lungs.
To relieve atopic allergy attack the whole range of measures is required. Primarily, they are directed to symptoms elimination. Calm and relaxed state during attack is a necessary component, if a person starts to worry, it only worsens the situation. Slow breaths of fresh air (not cold), horizontal position of the body will help to cope with atopic asthma attack in minutes.
Ideally it is necessary to have asthma inhaler. Its use quickly relieves suffocation attack and restores respiratory system smooth muscles work.
Status asthmaticus. Extremely dangerous for human life is a form of atopic asthma manifestation, at which asthmatic condition develops, known as status asthmaticus. It is a long-term, not amenable to traditional treatment with drugs, dyspnea, at which a person simply cannot exhale the air. Such a state develops from clouding of consciousness till its total loss. Total health condition is extremely serious. Lack of appropriate treatment can lead to disability and even death.
Allergic Asthma Treatment
Atopic asthma treatment should be carried out under medical supervision. Self-medication may aggravate the disease. This type of asthma is treated by the same means as other asthma forms, but it is important to consider allergic disease nature.
Timely reception of antihistamines reduces symptoms manifestation and atopic asthma severity. Modern pharmaceutical market offers a wide range of such means, so choosing the right drug is not so difficult. Antihistamine effect is achieved by blocking receptors, causing complete absence of histamine release in blood or its dose is so low, that does not cause any response.
If situation arises when contact with irritant can’t be avoided, it is necessary to take antihistamine in advance, then probability of acute response is greatly reduced.
In medicine, there is a method which includes administration of allergen-substance into human body, gradually increasing its dosage. Thus susceptibility to certain stimuli is formed, and probability of allergy attacks is reduced.
The most common method of fighting with atopic asthma is using long-acting inhaled glucocorticoids and beta2-adrenoceptor agonist blockers. This is basic therapy that contributes to control of illness for a long time.
IgE antibodies-antagonists provide elimination of bronchial hypersensitivity and prevent possible aggravation for a sufficiently long period of time.
Drugs group called cromones is widely used in allergic asthma treatment at children. However, these treatment means does not bring the desired results for adults.
Methylxanthines are used at atopic asthma exacerbation. They act very quickly, blocking adrenergic receptors. Base materials of this group of drugs: epinephrine (learn more) and oral glucocorticoid.
Amid all medications a priority are inhalants, which by means of special device penetrate directly into respiratory tract at humans with atopic asthma. This results in instant healing effect. Besides inhalers do not cause side effects which often do other medicines.
Allergic asthma can and should be treated, but treatment should be carried out in such a way taking into account individual characteristics of the disease. Only a qualified physician can do that, basing on clinical picture of the disease and diagnostic tools. Delays in treatment or improperly managed therapy lead to huge risk of pathological states in the body, resulting in atopic asthma progression into more severe form until death or disability.
In general, prognosis for life with proper treatment are rather favorable. Main complications of atopic asthma include developing pulmonary emphysema and heart insufficiency.
To date there are no effective preventive measures that could completely exclude possibility of allergic asthma manifestations. The problem is solved only when disease appears and comes down to eliminating allergens and adequate treatment, main task of which is disease stabilization and possible relapse reduction.