Allergy Asthma, What Can You Do?

allergy asthma

By Roger Michaelson

Taken from: Ezine

30% to 35% of all North Americans have allergy asthma. These numbers have increased significantly in the past 20 years. As a result both the sufferer and the sufferers’ family have seen a reduction in both quality of life and productivity. The impact can be devastating and even life threatening.

The allergy asthma population is on the rise yet research is on the decline. That doesn’t make a lot of sense. If you suffer from allergy asthma depending on the level of severity you can try to make improvements on your own or you may have to seek medical assistance.

There are several natural medicines that have shown excellent results for allergy asthma that is considered mild to moderate. Anyone dealing with severe problems needs to consult their doctor. Sometimes changes in lifestyle such as what you are exposing yourself to can help. Other times boosting the immune system or reprogramming it will make all the difference in the world.

Allergy asthma is one of the fastest growing allergies and asthma is becoming the fastest growing hospital admission in children and it is killing hundreds every year.

Allergies in general are growing with 2-5% of children and 10% of adults developing food allergies with many able to resolve themselves with dietary changes and often the use of herbal supplements. A small percentage will be dealing with more life threatening factors that must be addressed immediately. And many dealing with allergy asthma will need to work with their doctors.

Hay fever now affects about 25% of the population and it often leads to sinusitis and although it is often trivialized it is like allergy asthma seriously impairing a person’s ability to function.

Many of you might not realize the eczema can be a result of an allergy. In fact 10% of all eczema is allergy related and like allergy asthma you may need the help of your doctor to find the best approach to reducing it. There are many excellent herbal and natural products that can work well to eliminate eczema and reduce symptoms.

Anaphylaxis is the most serious allergy asthma – this is a reaction that can kill so suddenly those surrounding don’t realize what is occurring until it is too late. Anaphylaxis affects around 2% of the population and what happens is when the allergy strike the air ways are restricted and the person cannot breath thus suffocating.

Thankfully we are becoming much better at recognizing allergies in both children and adults. That means those suffering from allergies, and allergy asthma are getting better diagnosis and thus better treatment. In some cases with a little bit of diligence you can do a lot to help yourself using natural and herbal products. In more severe cases you will have to work with your doctor for the best outcome.

If you believe you have allergy asthma it is important to diagnose and find out exactly what is going on treating it before it gets more serious or even life threatening. There are some excellent asthma medications on the market that help you breathe and they have very few side effects.

So don’t delay if you think you have allergy asthma. You want to deal with it before it affects your quality of life.

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What does an allergy mean?

allergy information

Medical Editor: William C. Shiel Jr., MD, FACP, FACR

An allergy refers to an exaggerated reaction by our immune system in response to bodily
contact with certain foreign substances. It is exaggerated because these foreign substances are usually seen by the body as harmless and no response occurs in non- allergic people. Allergic people's bodies recognize the foreign substance and one part of the immune system is turned on. Allergy-producing substances are called "allergens." Examples of allergens include pollens, dust mite, molds, danders, and foods. To understand the language of allergy it is important to remember that allergens are substances that are foreign to the body and can cause an allergic reaction in certain people.

When an allergen comes in contact with the body, it causes the immune system to develop an allergic reaction in persons who are allergic to it. When you inappropriately react to allergens that are normally harmless to other people, you are having an allergic reaction and can be referred to as allergic or atopic. Therefore, people who are prone to allergies are said to be allergic or "atopic."

Austrian pediatrician Clemens Pirquet (1874-1929) first used the term allergy. He referred to both immunity that was beneficial and to the harmful hypersensitivity as "allergy." The word allergy is derived from the Greek words "allos," meaning different or changed and "ergos," meaning work or action. Allergy roughly refers to an "altered reaction." The word allergy was first used in 1905 to describe the adverse reactions of children who were given repeated shots of horse serum to fight infection. The following year, the term allergy was proposed to explain this unexpected "changed reactivity."

Allergy Fact

• It is estimated that 50 million North Americans are affected by allergic conditions.
• The cost of allergies in the United States is more than $10 billion dollars yearly.
• Allergic rhinitis (nasal allergies) affects about 35 million Americans, 6 million of whom are children.
• Asthma affects 15 million Americans, 5 million of whom are children.
• The number of cases of asthma has doubled over the last 20 years.

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Things that can trigger an asthma attack

asthma causes

• Air pollution
• Dust
• Mold
• Pollen
• Tobacco smoke
• Pet dander
• Exercise
• Changes in temperature
• Some foods
• Sulfite (food preservative in red wine, beer, salad bars, dehydrated soups and other foods)
• Aspirin, or ibuprofen (brand names: Advil, Motrin, Nuprin)
• Heartburn
• Sinus infections
• Strong emotions
• Perfume
• Spray-on deodorants
• Viruses

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Myths, facts, and statistics about asthma

about asthma

Medical Editor: William C. Shiel Jr., MD, FACP, FACR


Before we present the typical symptoms of asthma, we should dispel some common myths about this condition. This is best achieved by conducting a short true or false quiz.

1. T or F Asthma is "all in the mind."
2. T or F You will "grow out of it."
3. T or F Asthma can be cured, so it is not serious and nobody dies from it.
4. T or F You are likely to develop asthma if someone in your family has it.
5. T or F You can "catch" asthma from someone else who has it.
6. T or F Moving to a different location, such as the desert, can cure asthma.
7. T or F People with asthma should not exercise.
8. T or F Asthma does not require medical treatment.
9. T or F Medications used to treat asthma are habit-forming.
10. T or F Someone with asthma can provoke episodes anytime they want in order to get attention.

Here are the answers:

1. F - Asthma is not a psychological condition. However, emotional triggers can cause flare-ups.
2. F - You cannot outgrow asthma. In about 50% of children with asthma, the condition may become inactive in the teenage years. The symptoms, however, may reoccur at any time in adulthood.
3. F - There is no cure for asthma, but the disease can be controlled in most patients with good medical care. The condition should be taken seriously, since uncontrolled asthma may result in emergency hospitalization and possible death.
4. T - You have a 6% chance of having asthma if neither parent has the condition; a 30% chance if one parent has it; and a 70% chance if both parents have it.
5. F - Asthma is not contagious.
6. F - A new environment may temporarily improve asthma symptoms, but it will not cure asthma. After a few years in the new location, many people become sensitized to the new environment and the asthma symptoms return with the same or even greater intensity than before.
7. F - Swimming is an optimal exercise for those with asthma. On the other hand, exercising in dry, cold air may be a trigger for asthma in some people.
8. F - Asthma is best controlled by having an asthma management plan designed by your doctor that includes the medications used for quick relief and those used as controllers.
9. F - Asthma medications are not addictive.
10. F - Asthma attacks cannot be faked.

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What is Asthma?

about asthma

Asthma is a chronic disease that affects your airways. Your airways are tubes that carry air in and out of your lungs. If you have asthma, the inside walls of your airways become sore and swollen. That makes them very sensitive, and they may react strongly to things that you are allergic to or find irritating. When your airways react, they get narrower and your lungs get less air. This can cause wheezing, coughing, chest tightness and trouble breathing, especially early in the morning or at night.

When your asthma symptoms become worse than usual, it's called an asthma attack. In a severe asthma attack, the airways can close so much that your vital organs do not get enough oxygen. People can die from severe asthma attacks.

Asthma is treated with two kinds of medicines: quick-relief medicines to stop asthma symptoms and long-term control medicines to prevent symptoms.

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National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute

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Welcome to my asthma and allergy page

Allergy and asthma have been parts of my life for sometime.

I had asthma genetically, it was from my mother's father. Then came allergy along with asthma. When I was a kid, around 7-10 years old, I started feeling the disorder. I couldn't stand dust and cold. I would sneeze and my eyes got redden if I was near dust.
And if I was feeling tired, I'd have trouble breathing.

Seeing my suffering, my parents, who were doctors, searched and looked for the cure and treatment against allergy and asthma. I was their guinea pig and it was successful.


This website is dedicated to my experience with allergy and asthma, and the hard work of my parents to treat their patients.

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