Asthma is a lung condition where your airways become narrow, swollen, and blocked with excess mucus. It can result from allergens like pollen and pet dander causing an asthma attack, or outside factors like stress or exercise can lead to flare-ups. Allergy is when your body’s defense system overreacts to foreign harmless substances called allergens. There are many types of allergies, including certain foods and medications, latex, and insect stings. Bastrop asthma & allergies can cause common symptoms like coughing, sneezing, runny nose, skin rashes, vomiting, diarrhea, and itchy skin and eyes. There are various treatments for asthma and allergies, which include:
Treatments for asthma
Treatment for asthma focuses on controlling your symptoms. Controlling means you can do your duties normally, experience no or minimal asthma symptoms, and rarely need to use reliever medications. You can take asthma medicines through a metered-dose inhaler, nebulizer, or another asthma inhaler. You can also take oral medications. There are various medications that can help manage your asthma symptoms which include:
Bronchodilators
Bronchodilators help relax the muscles around your airways to let them move air. The drugs also let mucus move more easily through your airways. Doctors prescribe bronchodilators if you have intermittent and chronic asthma to help relieve your symptoms when they happen.
Anti-inflammatory medicines
Anti-inflammatory drugs minimize swelling and mucus production in your airways, making it easier for air to enter and exit your lungs. Your doctor may prescribe anti-inflammatory medicines you take daily to help control or prevent chronic asthma symptoms.
Biological therapies
Your doctor can recommend biological asthma therapies if you have severe asthma when symptoms persist despite using the correct inhaler therapy.
Treatments for allergies
Antihistamines
Your healthcare provider may suggest antihistamines like loratadine and cetirizine to help manage your allergy. They block some histamine effects.
Nasal sprays
Nasal sprays are very effective in treating allergies and safe to use daily, but it may take a few days or a week to have an effect. Cromolyn sodium, antihistamine, and fluticasone are commonly used nasal sprays to treat allergies.
Decongestants
Your doctor can recommend decongestants to treat your allergy, but they are only suitable for short-term use because they can lead to higher side effects. Oxymetazoline and phenylephrine are commonly used decongestants.
Asthma medications
Inhaled or oral bronchodilators, inhaled steroids, and injected drugs like dupilumab can help treat allergies.
Immunotherapy
If over-the-counter and prescription drugs are ineffective, your doctor can recommend allergy shots or drops to manage your allergy symptoms. Your provider gradually increases immunotherapy dosage over several months to help create a tolerance to the allergen causing your allergy. Immunotherapy is commonly used to relieve symptoms related to inhalant allergy.
Nasal saline irrigation
Putting a saline solution in your nasal passages can help clear out mucus and allergens trapped inside your nasal passages. Usually, you use an over-the-counter device called a neti pot to administer nasal saline.
Asthma is a lung disease where your airways become blocked with excess mucus, narrow, and swollen. Allergies develop when your body’s defense system overacts to foreign harmless substances. Both conditions can result from allergens. You can manage your asthma and allergy symptoms through allergy shots, antihistamine medications, and inhaler drugs. Schedule an appointment with Pompeyo Chavez, M, for asthma and allergy treatment to relieve your nasal congestion.
