Monthly Archives: March 2020

Living with Someone with Asthma? Here are Some Things You Need to Consider

As of date, there are already more than half a million COVID-19 cases around the world. Unfortunately, no one is exempted from this disease even if you think you are generally healthy. However, there are some people who are more at risk in COVID-19. These include the elderly, weak immune system, and with asthma.

If you or someone you know suffer from asthma, you should visit an asthma doctor. An allergist should help you manage asthma symptoms. More so, asthmatics should be extra cautious at this time. Stay at home, wash your hands, and keep yourself healthy all the time.

Living with asthma

Asthma can affect the quality of one’s life. For starters, asthma affects the airways and can be triggered by several factors. For example, it can be due to allergy to pollen, certain foods, or extreme emotions. Some may experience mild symptoms, while others can be life-threatening.

To manage your condition, you need to identify the symptoms. Among common symptoms include:

Breathing difficulties
Coughing and wheezing
Tightening of chest

If you experience the abovementioned symptoms, make sure to go to an allergy clinic immediately. Prevention is still better than cure especially with the ongoing threat of COVID-19. Have yourself tested if you experience symptoms associated with COVID-19 to avoid contamination.

Things not to say to someone with asthma

Living with asthma can be challenging. For one, you should take your prescribed asthma treatments to help manage your condition. However, living with someone with asthma is another story. You are healthy, but someone you live with isn’t.

For one thing, you can offer support to your asthmatic friend and loved one. If needed, make sure to help your friend or loved one find an allergy doctor. Allergy testing may be necessary as well to ensure proper treatment for those who suffer from asthma. Aside from that, you should never say or do while you are with someone with asthma.

Never smoke near someone who is asthmatic. More so, secondhand smoking is more dangerous.
Avoid recommending “homemade” or “natural” asthma treatments to someone who is asthmatic. Most of these so-called natural treatments are not really scientifically proven to cure asthma.
Asthma symptoms may also be similar to that of common colds (ex. wheezing, coughing). If these symptoms do not go away despite taking medications, you should visit an allergist doctor immediately.
Inhalers are important to help asthmatics manage their symptoms. However, these are for emergencies only. The best way to manage asthma is to avoid the triggers (ex. smoke, pollen, stress, etc.)
Most people will have asthma for the rest of their lives. That is why you should understand how it feels, especially if a loved one has it.

How to help a loved one with asthma

Most likely, your loved one already knows how to manage his or her asthma symptoms. Going to an allergy specialist is one thing. Understanding what he or she is going through is another. In case an asthma attack happens unexpectedly, here are some things you can do to help.

Calm down, and help them calm down in case an attack happens. Panic attacks can make the situation worse.
Ask them to loosen up their clothing so they can breathe better. Ask them to sit upright to help improve their breathing.
If their situation does not improve even after loosening up their clothes, let them puff on their inhaler. In the worst-case scenario, it may be a good idea to rush the patient to a nearby emergency room.
Avoid taking them outside for some fresh air. Outside air may contain pollen and other allergens that can make their asthma attacks worse.

Alleviating asthma symptoms and protection against COVID-19

Given the ongoing threat that is COVID-19, we should be more cautious with our hygiene. More so, we should protect our loved ones who are asthmatics and others that are at higher risk of contracting this disease.

Protecting yourself and your loved one (especially those with asthma) is as basic as washing hands and distancing oneself when sick. Make sure to get proper treatment and stay at home as much as possible. Visit an allergy specialist doctor in Manassas VA in case asthma symptoms start to become worst.

Let us not only take care of ourselves but also the frontline and health workers. They selflessly take care of us in this critical time.

Double Danger: Will COVID-19 and Asthma Make Your Health Situation Worse?

We all live in a scary time due to the rapid spread of the dreaded COVID-19 virus. As of date, about 114 countries already have cases of this disease. As of March 10, the WHO reported more than 110,000 infected individuals and more than 4,000 deaths. Unfortunately, the figures might continue to rise in the days to come.

What is the COVID-19 virus?

For starters, a coronavirus is a group of viruses that affect a person’s respiratory system. This includes SARS, MERS-CoV, and COVID-19 viruses. According to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), common symptoms of coronavirus, including the COVID-19, include dry cough, fever, and difficulty in breathing.

It can also take a toll on those with asthma since the virus affects the respiratory system. You need to visit an asthma doctor to help you manage the symptoms. Allergy testing might also be necessary to help rule out allergic triggers. In times like these, everyone should observe proper hygiene and be proactive if you experience the abovementioned symptoms.

Can asthmatics be more high risk due to COVID-19?

The CDC advised those who suffer from asthma to be vigilant with their surroundings. Those with asthma should also avoid large crowds, observe proper hygiene, and take vitamins to boost the immune system.

When necessary, stock up on basic goods that will be good for two weeks. Take asthma treatments as per doctor’s orders, or visit an allergy clinic if not feeling well due to your condition. Since the virus affects the respiratory system, it’s a good thing especially for asthmatics to double up their defenses.

The (somewhat) good news is that there is little to no link of the virus to asthma – at least in the confirmed cases in the US. However, the CDC and WHO report that those with asthma are still those who are at high risk of contracting the virus. Others who are at high risk include those who:

Came into direct contact with a COVID-19 patient
Are aged 60 and above
Have existing medical conditions such as diabetes, hypertension, and cardiovascular disease

Those with asthma should be twice as careful when going outside or touching objects. However, this should not be applicable to the abovementioned people. Everyone, healthy or with medical conditions, should do their part on keeping themselves and others COVID-19-free.

Myths surrounding COVID-19 virus

Much has been said about this virus. While there are far worse pandemics in the past, this does not mean we should already downplay COVID-19. Everyone is at risk of contracting this disease. We can only so much to protect ourselves by following the authorities’ reminders in terms of cleanliness and proper hygiene.

Sometimes though, we cannot tell what legit news from fake ones is especially on social media. Here are some myths about the COVID-19 virus and the truths behind it.

The virus cannot thrive in hot and humid weather.

So far, there is no proven fact about this. In fact, the virus has already spread globally regardless of the climate. A lot of Asian countries, where weather is mostly warm and humid, have already reported thousands of COVID-19 cases in total. The same also goes with countries located in higher altitudes (many European and North America).

You can eliminate the disease by having a hot bath.

Regardless of whether you took a hot or cold bath, you cannot eliminate the virus that way. Unless you want to burn yourself with a hot bath, then go ahead and do it. This is the same as using a hand or blow dryers.

UV lamps and thermal scanners can detect COVID-19.

One should not use UV lamps to sterilize hands or other parts of the body. This is because UV radiation can lead to skin irritation. Meanwhile, thermal scanners common in airports and other public events. It can only detect fever, but not the COVID-19 virus itself.

Pets can spread or get infected with the coronavirus.

As of now, there is no proof that house pets can get affected by the virus. Still, it is best to wash your hands after touching your pets.

Be proactive at this trying time

If you have asthma and experiencing respiratory issues, make sure to visit an asthma doctor immediately. An allergy specialist can help you manage your asthma symptoms. If worse comes to worst, you should have yourself checked to confirm whether you have the dreaded disease or not.

Observing proper hygiene is still the best action to take to avoid the spread of the virus. Wash hands with soap for at least 20 seconds, stay away from large crowds and disinfect your home with alcohol or bleach from time to time. Allergists in Germantown MD also recommend taking medications to avoid allergic reactions and asthma from getting worst.

Here is What You Need to Know about Red Meat Allergy

Millions of people all over the world suffer from allergies. Some have food allergies, while others suffer from allergic reactions due to pollen or pet dander. There are also a lot of people who experience allergic reactions but are clueless about what causes allergies in the first place. If you are one of those who experience allergies, you should visit an allergy clinic immediately.

Speaking of food allergy, it is said to affect both children and adults. Food allergy may vary depending on the specific food allergen. For example, some may be allergic to seafood. Others might experience allergic reactions when they eat dairy or nuts. Another type of food allergy, albeit not as common as the aforementioned food, is red meat.

When eating red meat is a gastronomical nightmare

Being allergic to red meat may not be as common as soy or nut allergies. Like any other types of allergies, there are certain meat proteins that cause adverse reactions. These allergens break down once cooked, and cause those familiar allergic reactions upon consumption.

Allergy to red meat, also known as an alpha-gal syndrome or mammalian meat allergy, has no known cure. On a positive note, such a kind of allergy is less common than other types of food allergies. Red meat allergy symptoms can also be more manageable over time. If you suspect of having the alpha-gal syndrome, you should have allergy testing to confirm your condition.

What causes meat allergies?

Red meat allergies may develop as early as in childhood or in late adulthood. In particular, people with current allergies, specific blood types, or atopic dermatitis are at high risk of having meat allergies. Make sure to consult an allergist if you experience any allergy symptoms due to meat consumption.

Lone star tick bites are also one of the major causes of red meat allergies. Lone star ticks are native to the Central and Southern US. It sucks mammals’ blood, which contains the alpha-gal sugar. Once the tick feeds on humans, it transmits the alpha-gal sugar into the bloodstream and there starts the onslaught of red meat allergic reactions.

Apparently, those with blood types A or O have higher risks of having red meat allergy. One possibility for this is that those with the abovementioned blood types do not have the B antigen which is only present in B and AB blood types. The B antigen can provide people with some sort of internal protection against allergic reactions.

Specifically, the so-called alpha-gal sugar is pinpointed as the main culprit of allergic reactions to red meat. This may not also necessarily mean that only those with blood types A or O may suffer from red meat allergy. Instead, those with existing allergies may worsen the symptoms due to alpha-gal allergies.

Red meat allergies are also different from poultry and dairy allergies. Usually, these can be due to undercooked white meat (chicken and turkey). There are also some who are allergic to eggs but not to chicken. Nevertheless, it is better to consult an allergy specialist doctor for any signs of allergic reactions.

Treating red meat allergies

There are some people who did not have any idea that they have red meat allergies until several years later. That is why you should consult an allergy physician if you experience any signs of allergic reactions when you eat something. You might even notice a pattern that can give a clue of what you are allergic to.

One way is subjecting yourself to allergy testing such as blood tests, elimination diet, or a skin prick test. If there is indeed an allergy to red meat, you need to avoid it at all costs. Whether fresh or processed, you should make sure to check the packaging before buying it. You might also have to consult a dietitian to help you cook up meat alternatives without depriving yourself of protein.

In case you have accidentally eaten red meat, you should counter it with antihistamine, inhaler or nasal spray immediately. But if there are severe or potentially life-threatening reactions, you should visit an allergy clinic the soonest.

Enjoy your food, but keep safe too

If you are allergic to any food, including red meat, don’t risk it. Otherwise, you might end up in a hospital bed due to complications. To make sure, consult an allergy physician in Germantown MD if you experience any signs of allergies.