Asthma and allergies can be confusing to tell apart due to their symptoms being so similar to each other. There is one similarity we can all agree on, is that asthma and allergy sufferers are usually always feeling like their lives are controlled by their ailments.
You don’t need to suffer as both can also be managed easily with some basic understanding of the difference between asthma and allergies.
What Are Allergies?
Immune systems are designed in such a way that they react to what the immune system perceives as a threat, however, an overly-reactive immune system may be triggered by allergens such as pollen, dust and pet dander.
Allergies also don’t just come in the form of sneezing and sniffling as the primary symptoms. They can affect you all over your body, these are the symptoms that can occur with allergies:
- Inflamed Eczema
- Hives
- Dermatitis
- Conjunctivitis
Allergies can exacerbate pre-existing skin and sinus conditions. They can occur randomly after exposure to an allergen, may change over time or are hereditary and last for life. They can only be cured by identifying and avoiding allergens.
What Is Asthma?
Asthma begins in the lungs and has everything to do with your lungs. It’s a chronic disease that makes asthmatic people feel like they are gasping for air and usually they need medical interventions in order to breathe normally, commonly with the use of an inhaler.
Asthma like allergies, cannot be completely cured however it can be controlled by taking proper care and medical intervention, however asthma can be triggered by mental stress, some medication, and air quality. It has a cause and effect relationship with allergies as contact with some allergens an asthmatic person is sensitive to, can trigger their asthma. This can explain why symptoms are so similar. Some of these are:
- Coughing
- Shortness of breath
- Tightening feeling in the chest
- Wheezing
- Gasping for breath
Allergic Asthma: Symptoms & Triggers
There are different types of asthma and this type of asthma is caused by an allergic reaction, the symptoms of allergic asthma and regular asthma are similar. Allergic asthma is an unfortunate side effect of contact with allergens such as pet dander, dust, smoke and commonly, pollen.
Allergic Asthma has symptoms like:
- Difficulty during physical exercise
- Shortness of breath
- Coughing and sneezing
- Feeling like it’s difficult to breathe
Someone who has allergic asthma may not even realize that they have asthma as their condition is only triggered when they come in contact with allergens, so they may confuse this for extreme allergies and without proper medical interventions, they may constantly feel sick.
Next Steps
It’s important to see a specialist who can help you identify your triggers through thorough allergen testing, then you may be prescribed a detailed plan that you should follow in order to have control over your condition.
This may include short term courses of medications to manage your most immediate symptoms, and also long-term medication such as a regular use of inhaler and the best antihistamines for when your allergies, asthma or allergic asthma get triggered. You can also try immunotherapy in order to try to make your immune system more tolerant of some allergens that are harder to avoid.
Whether it may be asthma or allergies, our physicians can help you with the diagnosis and treatment of your condition. Schedule an appointment with our primary care professionals at the Internal Medical Diagnostic Center. Reach out at (281) 252-8600 to schedule an appointment.