Allergy and Asthma Relief

Allergies and asthma often go together. In fact, asthma induced by allergies is the most common type of asthma in the United States, according to MayoClinic.com. If you have both allergies and asthma, what triggers your allergies often inflames your airways, leading to asthma symptoms. Typical triggers for allergy and asthma symptoms are dust, pollen, mold and pet dander.

Becoming Immune

One way to get relief from the allergies that cause asthma is to get immunotherapy, also called “allergy shots.” Immunotherapy works by injecting small amounts of the allergen under your skin. Over the course of several years, you build up immunity to allergens. Once you know which substances cause you to have allergic asthma, avoiding those substances can prevent symptoms as well.

Treating Symptoms

Corticosteroids treat asthma and allergies. For allergies, you can reduce hay fever by using a nose spray that contains corticosteroids. For an allergic skin reaction, corticosteroid creams can help. For asthma, an inhaler device containing corticosteroids can reduce inflammation of the bronchial tubes, according to MayoClinic.com.

One substance in pill form, montelukast, helps symptoms of both allergies and asthma. Most other medications treat either allergies or asthma. For example, antihistamines treat hay fever, but not asthma. Bronchodilator inhalers treat asthma, but not hay fever, according to MayoClinic.com.

Keep Symptoms Under Control

The best way to deal with allergies and asthma is to keep your symptoms under control. You do this by finding out what your triggers are and avoiding them. You can also work with your doctor to find the best treatment for you to manage your symptoms.

Preventing Symptoms in Children

You can take steps to prevent allergy and asthma symptoms in your children. You should never smoke anywhere near children because absolute proof exists between the link between tobacco smoke and coughing, wheezing and respiratory infections, according to the University of Arizona.

You cannot prevent allergies and asthma from occurring in children who are already predisposed to developing allergic disease. But, you can control the symptoms in your children by keeping dust levels, mold and animal dander low. A paradox exists about dogs and cats. Infants tend to be less likely to develop allergies to airborne allergens if two or more cats or dogs live in the house during the baby’s first year.

Air Filters

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency recommends that people with allergies or asthma use air filtration. Air filters can provide some relief, but they are not solutions for allergies or asthma, according to the Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America. A high-efficiency particulate air filter, also called a HEPA filter, captures 99.97 percent of particles in the air.