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Exercising with Allergic Asthma: How to Go About It

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) advises that people should engage in aerobic activity every week to stay healthy.

While this is the case, for some people, physical activity and sports might cause asthma symptoms, such as chest tightness, coughing, Shortness of breath, and wheezing.

As a result, these symptoms make exercise difficult and sometimes deadly.

Taking adequate measures and adopting a symptom management strategy can allow you to reap the advantages of exercise while minimizing potential suffering.

Here’s what you need to know about exercising safely with allergic asthma.

How asthma is linked to exercise

Asthma affects around 25 million people in the US. The most frequent kind is allergic asthma, which is caused or worsened by particular allergens, including:

Pests such as mold, pets, pollen, dust mites, and cockroaches.

Whether you’re working out or going about your daily activities, avoiding these common allergens will help you avoid seeing your allergy doctor too frequently. It will also keep allergic asthma symptoms at bay.

Exercise itself can cause asthma symptoms. This is referred to as exercise-induced asthma.

According to the Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America, up to 90% of asthma patients develop exercise-induced asthma while participating in physical activity.

Asthma symptoms can appear while you’re exercising and usually increase 5 to 10 minutes after you stop.

Depending on the severity of the symptoms, you may need to use your rescue inhaler. Some people’s symptoms may resolve on their own within a half hour.

Even if symptoms resolve without medication, some patients may experience a second wave of asthma symptoms 4 to 12 hours later.

These late-phase symptoms are usually not severe and might be resolved within a day. If the symptoms are severe, do not hesitate to take your rescue medication.

How do you know exercise triggers your asthma?

If you suspect you have exercise-induced asthma, speak with your doctor about getting tested to confirm a diagnosis and build a treatment plan.

Your doctor can examine your breathing before, during, and after physical activity to evaluate how well your lungs are functioning and whether exercise is causing your asthma.

If you are diagnosed with exercise-induced asthma, you should consult with your doctor to develop an Asthma Action Plan. That way, you’ll know what to do in an emergency and have a list of drugs handy.

Tips for exercising with allergic asthma

Regular physical exercise is beneficial to your health, even if you have allergic asthma. If you are looking to exercise even with your condition, here are some recommendations that may help you exercise and participate in sports more safely:

Take your medication before you work out. Some drugs can be taken in advance to help you avoid the symptoms of exercise-induced asthma.

Your doctor may advise you to take a short-acting beta-agonist (or bronchodilator) a few minutes before working out, or a long-acting bronchodilator up to an hour before exercising. Your doctor may recommend Mast cell stabilizers in extremely unusual circumstances.

Be ultra-cautious throughout the winter months. Allergic asthma symptoms might be exacerbated in cold surroundings. If you must exercise outside in the winter, donning a mask or scarf may help you avoid symptoms.

Be mindful of the summer months, too. Hot, humid surroundings promote the growth of allergens such as mold and dust mites.

If you must exercise outdoors during the summer, plan your sessions for the mornings or nights when temperatures and humidity are often lower.

Select indoor activities. Avoid exercising outside on days with high allergen and pollution levels, as this can raise your risk of developing allergic asthma.

Practice less stimulating sports. Choose activities that require “short bursts of exercise,” such as volleyball, baseball, gymnastics, strolling, or leisurely bike rides. These activities may be less likely to cause symptoms than ones that involve continuous action, such as soccer, running, or basketball.

Store your things indoors. When left outside, exercise equipment such as bikes, jump ropes, weights, and mats can accumulate pollen or become moldy. To reduce unnecessary exposure to allergens that cause asthma, store your gear inside.

Always warm up and cool down. Stretching before and after a workout may help to alleviate asthma symptoms. Make time for a warm-up before you begin and a cool-down after each exercise.

Carry your inhaler with you. If your doctor has given you an inhaler to help you control exercise-induced asthma, keep it on hand during your workout. It can help reverse certain symptoms if they appear.

When should you seek medical attention?

Some minor symptoms of allergic asthma that appear during exercising may resolve on their own. So you don’t need to do much about them.

However, more severe responses may necessitate medical treatment. Seek emergency medical attention immediately if you experience:

Symptoms of an asthma attack include persistent shortness of breath, wheezing, and difficulty breathing.

Symptoms of shortness of breath include strained chest muscles and difficulty speaking for longer periods of time.

When you see any of these symptoms, don’t wait. Get in touch with your doctor as soon as possible so that they can analyze your condition and give you the necessary medication.

When you are hiring a medical doctor, don’t hire them the day the symptoms start showing. Instead, you should start the process early. You should visit a couple of doctors while you are still in good health and determine whether they are the right fit for you.

Since you have a condition, it means that you will be seeing your doctor too frequently. This means that when it comes to hiring them, don’t just look at their experience level. Take time to find out whether your personalities match. You want someone that you are comfortable around and you can easily talk to them.

Parting shot

Asthma symptoms should not keep you from living an active lifestyle. Avoiding triggers, taking prescribed medicine, and selecting the appropriate type of activity will help you exercise safely and avoid symptoms.

Keep track of how your body reacts to physical exercise and have an asthma action plan in place in case you need it.

When the condition worsens, don’t take chances. See an allergy doctor Manassas VA immediately.

Ways to Prevent Indoor Allergies

Allergies can be annoying and uncomfortable, whether those pesky ones occur seasonally when flowers bloom or the more regular ones caused by dust mites and pet dander. The good news is that you don’t have to put up with that.

Of course, there are over-the-counter products that you can use to mitigate the same, but have you thought about going the homemade way? You will save some cash and reduce frequent trips to your local allergy clinic.

Here are many ways to make your home a more allergy-friendly place.

Regular cleaning

Keeping your home clean sounds like something that should come naturally, but this is not always the case. If you want to reduce the chances of you or your family suffering from allergies, you may want to do the following:

Dust: Dust particles often contain allergens like pet dander, pollen, and dust mites. As such, use a damp cloth to wipe the surfaces in your home. This will effectively eliminate dust compared to dry dusting.

Vacuum: Dusting alone is not enough. Your floors and upholstery also harbor allergens. This is why using a vacuum cleaner equipped with a HEPA (High-Efficiency Particulate Air) filter is important. HEPA filters are designed to capture tiny particles, including allergens, preventing them from being recirculated into the air.

Air purifiers

Air purifiers do a great job of eliminating indoor allergens. They work by filtering the air and removing microscopic particles that can trigger allergic reactions. Again, when purchasing one, ensure that it has a HEPA filter.

High-efficiency particulate Air (HEPA) filters are known for their exceptional ability to capture small particles, including allergens like pollen, dust mites, and pet dander. When you run an air purifier with a HEPA filter, it continuously circulates and filters the air in a room, trapping allergens in the filter.

Moreover, these appliances often come with a noise control feature that allows them to run quietly in case you are concerned about noise disruptions.

Allergy-friendly bedding

Consider investing in allergen-proof pillows and mattress covers. Why? Because these create a barrier between you and allergens like dust mites. Furthermore, ensure you wash bedding, including sheets and pillowcases, in hot water weekly, and consider using hypoallergenic pillows and duvets.

Humidity control

It is necessary to control the temperatures in your home. Precisely, you want to maintain indoor humidity levels below 50%, as this will inhibit dust mite and mold growth.

A dehumidifier can help achieve this, but you must ensure proper ventilation to prevent moisture buildup.

Pet care

Pets are the most common culprits for allergic reactions. Therefore, if you have pets and are allergic to them, keep them out of your bedroom, groom them regularly, and vacuum your space frequently. You also want to clean pet bedding and toys to reduce allergen exposure regularly.

Remove clutter

This may sound outlandish, but clutter does contribute to the accumulation of allergens in your space. In that regard, you want to minimize clutter in your home as it provides more hiding places for dust and allergens.

The best action would be to eliminate items that collect dust and adopt a minimalistic approach to home decor.

Seal cracks and leaks.

Inspecting your home for cracks, gaps, and leaks is crucial in creating an allergy-friendly environment. This is because such openings can allow outdoor allergens to infiltrate your living spaces, compromising your efforts to maintain clean indoor air.

Here’s why sealing cracks and leaks is necessary and how to effectively do it:

Allergen entry points: Outdoor allergens such as pollen, mold spores, and outdoor air pollutants can easily find their way into your home through small openings. Some common entry points include gaps in your doors and windows, foundation cracks, wall holes, and poorly sealed ducts.

Preventing infiltration: When you seal these entry points, you block allergens from getting into your space, reducing your indoor allergen load and making it easier to keep your space allergen-free.

Depending on the size and type of opening, you want to use the recommended material, such as expanding foam or caulk. You also want to ensure that your windows and doors are tightly sealed when closed.

You also want to check for any gaps where different building materials meet and seal them.

Natural cleaning products

Are you aware that most cleaning products contain harsh chemicals? This is because the chemicals do a good job of removing stains and sometimes even disinfecting. However, the downside to such chemicals is that they could cause allergic reactions.

To counter that, you may use more natural or hypoallergenic cleaning products. The trick is to ensure that they are just as effective.

Other benefits of using natural cleaning products include:

Reduced chemical exposure: As previously mentioned, most cleaning products typically contain chemicals that can trigger allergic reactions or aggravate existing allergies.

With natural cleaning products, you do not run the risk of the same.

Allergen elimination: The formulation of some natural cleaning products targets allergens such as pet dander and dust mites. In that regard, they can help eliminate such allergens from your space more effectively.

Scent options: Fragrances can also cause allergic reactions. Natural cleaning fragrances do not contain artificial fragrances, reducing the chances of that happening.

Allergen-free diet

If you have food allergies, you must be vigilant about reading food labels and avoiding allergenic ingredients. Ideally, you should designate an allergen-free kitchen area to minimize cross-contamination when cooking.

Allergen-free home décor

Choose home decor that is easy to clean and less likely to trap allergens. When it comes to flooring, opt for hardwood or laminate flooring over carpets, and use blinds or shades instead of heavy curtains.

Final Thoughts

In addition to these measures, consulting with an allergist Germantown MD to develop a personalized allergy management plan is essential. They can recommend appropriate medications or immunotherapy if necessary.

By incorporating these strategies into your daily routine, you can create a more allergy-friendly home environment and reduce the impact of allergens on your health and well-being.

Tips to Beat Indoor Allergies

Those suffering from allergies frequently seek refuge inside their houses. Unfortunately, the place isn’t safe as sometimes they bring the allergens inside, sometimes even making the allergies worse, and you have to visit an allergy clinic. 

Thankfully, you can eliminate indoor allergies and breathe easier in your house with thoughtful tweaks and methods. 

We’ve compiled a list of strategies and items that you can use to make your life at home more joyful and allergen-free. Here they are: 

Keep windows and doors closed to keep pollen out.

Closing and sealing doors and windows is the first major step in preventing outdoor allergens from entering your home. 

You should keep all windows and exterior doors closed, especially during peak pollen times, such as early mornings and late afternoons.

You also should consider installing pollen-blocking window filters or screens in your windows. These can help keep pollen particles out of your home while allowing enough air circulation.

It’s also wise to consider sealing gaps around doors and windows with weatherstripping or door sweeps. This will help in the formation of a barrier against pollen infiltration.

Besides keeping your doors and windows closed all the time, you should limit your time outside, especially on windy days or when pollen concentrations are high. This decreases the pollen that may adhere to your clothing and carry inside.

As you come outside, remove any outer clothing and shoes that have come into contact with pollen. This will assist in keeping pollen from spreading throughout your home.

Invest in an air purifier.

Using an air purifier reduces allergy and asthma symptoms. It’s a little but powerful device that can help eliminate indoor allergies caused by everything from cooking smoke to outdoor contaminants that enter through windows. 

Look for an air purifier with a HEPA (high-efficiency particulate air) filter. HEPA filters are designed to catch airborne particles as small as 0.3 microns in size, including pollen, pet dander, dust mites, and mold spores.

To keep the model running properly, double-check the square footage it can handle and clean or change the filter as advised.

You should install the air purifier in the room where you spend most of your time, such as your bedroom or living room. Place it in an area providing maximum air circulation and distribution.

It is wise to operate the air purifier continuously or at least when you are present in the room to maintain clean air. This guarantees that the air is constantly filtered and allergens are removed.

You should replace your filters regularly to keep the air inside. When doing the filter change, follow the manufacturer’s instructions. Depending on usage and local air quality, you should update the filters every 6 to 12 months. 

While an air purifier can help remove allergens from the air, keeping your living space clean is crucial. Dust surfaces, vacuum carpets, and wash bedding regularly to reduce allergy collection.

Keep pets out of the bedroom.

We all adore our four-legged family members, but pet fur and dander can aggravate allergy symptoms. Make sure to groom your pet regularly, and keep the door to your bedroom closed. This reduces the number of allergens you’ll be exposed to, especially while sleeping.

If your pet is accustomed to sleeping in your bedroom, provide them a nice alternate sleeping spot somewhere in the house. Provide a nice bed or crate in another room to ensure their comfort.

Positive reinforcement and deterrents can also be effective in training pets to avoid certain regions. To dissuade your pet from entering the bedroom, use pet gates, fragrant deterrent sprays, or noise-making devices near the door.

Brushing and bathing your pet regularly can help minimize the stray hair and dander they shed. This reduces the allergy burden in your entire house.

Keep your house clean.

By keeping the house clean, you get rid of most of the allergens. Vacuum your carpets at least once or twice a week; you should do it more frequently if you have pets. 

Carpets can trap allergies and create irritation, so vacuuming regularly keeps allergens at bay. 

As a rule of thumb, you should wear a face mask when vacuuming to avoid inhaling all the dust that will float around. 

For the best outcome, use a high-quality vacuum with a HEPA filter. HEPA filters catch microscopic particles, including allergens, and prevent them from recirculating in the air.

You also should make it a habit to dust the surfaces regularly with a moist cloth or an electrostatic duster. This aids in trapping and removing allergen-containing dust particles such as pollen, pet dander, and dust mites.

When it comes to the floors, clean them with a moist mop or microfiber cloth, which helps to trap and remove allergens effectively. Avoid dry methods, such as sweeping, as they stir up allergens in the air.

When it comes to bedding, to get rid of dust mites and related allergies, wash the sheets, pillowcases, and blankets regularly in hot water. To further protect against dust mites, consider utilizing allergen-proof covers for mattresses, pillows, and duvets.

You should also regularly clean your drapes and blinds to remove dust and allergens. When purchasing, choose washable drapes that you can easily clean regularly.

Use a Neti pot

One final and highly effective way to alleviate your indoor allergies is to use a Neti Pot to keep your sinuses free. This ancient and doctor-recommended medicinal practice is a simple and effective approach to keeping your nasal passageways clean of trapped allergens and a powerful strategy to decrease disease. 

Clean out your nasal sinus passages with specific saline packets and distilled water for the best outcome. It may initially feel strange, but it improves your thinking and breathing. 

If this is your first time trying, consult your allergy doctor Manassas VA on how to use it properly. 

Understanding Asthma Allergy

While asthma is a common illness, persistent asthmatic symptoms indicate underlying issues. If you live in an unsanitary environment or have immunological concerns, see your allergy doctor immediately for a rapid diagnosis of recurring asthmatic allergic onsets.

Asthma attacks frequently trigger allergies, leading to nasopharyngeal choking, fast inflammation, and severe breathing problems.

While these attacks can also occur due to brief interaction with suspected allergens or the consumption of restricted foods, asthmatic allergic reactions pose substantial hazards.

How does asthma trigger allergies?

When your bronchioles detect prospective allergens, asthma attacks begin. It results in a frenzied reaction that interferes with your natural respiration.

The reaction often triggers a coping mechanism. When your IgE attaches to these foreign antigens, your allergies worsen. As a result, bronchial irritation and blockage occur.

Because of a hypersensitive immune system, such reactions are frequently immunological.

Asthma flare-ups can also cause allergic reactions if you breathe in potentially allergenic air. Furthermore, long-term exposure to cigarette smoke, pollution, and work dangers makes you prone to recurring asthmatic allergic reactions.

Common allergens that can cause allergic asthma

 

You can find allergens everywhere, both indoors and outdoors. Some of the common allergens include:

Dander: These are microscopic flakes of dead skin cells shed by animals, most notably cats, dogs, and birds. When an animal sheds or grooms itself, these flakes can be found in its fur or feathers and spread throughout the living environment.

Dander can cause an allergic reaction when inhaled or comes into touch with the skin, making it a common allergen for some people. Sneezing, runny nose, itchy eyes, and skin rash are all dander allergy symptoms.

Regular cleaning, air filtration, and grooming can help reduce dander in the home and prevent allergic symptoms.

Mold: Typically found in moist areas (basements), mold creates spores that enter the air and can aggravate your asthma.

House dust mites: Dust mites resemble spiders and reside on your home’s soft surfaces (carpets, furniture covers, and clothes). 

Cockroaches: These pests can be found in various dwellings, and their feces, saliva, and other body parts may cause your asthma to flare up.

Seasonal allergies. These affect some people and appear at certain times of the year. Because of the blossoming of numerous plants, this is frequently associated with spring. More pollen is in the air during this time of year than in other seasons (fall or winter).

Allergic asthma symptoms

Many symptoms associated with other types of asthma may occur if you have allergic asthma. Among these signs are:

  • Feeling out of breath.
  • Coughing a lot, especially at night.
  • Wheezing (a whistling sound made while breathing).
  • Feeling tight in the chest (as if something is crushing or squeezing your chest).

During an asthma episode, these symptoms can be severe. If you have severe asthma symptoms, ensure you have a treatment plan, including an asthma inhaler.

You may also feel symptoms similar to allergies. These are typically milder than asthma symptoms and can occur when exposed to an allergen. Among these signs are:

  • A congested nose.
  • Itchy or watery eyes.
  • Sneezing.
  • A rash with hives.

How to diagnose allergic asthma

Your healthcare provider can perform a variety of tests to identify allergic asthma. The healthcare provider will most likely undertake a blood or skin test.

Your provider will search for the influence of allergens on your body during these examinations. Possible allergens may be put on small areas of your skin for a skin test to evaluate how you react to each one. This is unpleasant, but it will show your provider what is causing the reaction.

The healthcare provider can also do other tests to ensure that your symptoms are caused by asthma, not another medical condition.

Most of the common asthma diagnostic tests that the healthcare provider can undertake include:

Spirometry: This breathing test involves inhaling deeply and then expelling into a tube. This tube is linked to a computer, which collects data on how well the air travels when you breathe in and out.

Spirometry can also be performed while using a bronchodilator. This test variation assesses how well your airways relax before and after medication administration. During the test, you must exhale as strongly and quickly as possible into the tube.

Bronchoprovocation test: It is similar to allergy testing on your skin in that your physician will introduce potential allergens to determine the source of the problem.

The test is done in a controlled environment, and minimal samples are used to avoid a large, lethal reaction.

Exhaled nitric oxide test (FeNO test): Your healthcare provider measures the amount of nitric oxide in your breath when you exhale. While the test can be administered in any situation, it’s best suited for milder situations of allergic asthma when you do not experience severe symptoms. This is because the highly sensitive test will pick up even small amounts of nitric oxide.

When you have allergic asthma, whatever you breathe in usually causes your symptoms. Identifying the allergen that caused your symptoms is another step in the allergic asthma diagnosis procedure.

To make it easy for your allergist Manassas VA, keep a notebook or take notes about what happened when you had asthma symptoms.

It could be a pollen allergy if you were outside near recently cut grass. It might be a pet dander if you were caressing a dog.

Knowing what you inhaled when your symptoms first appeared will assist your provider in developing a plan to control your allergic asthma.

How to manage allergic asthma

To decrease and avoid further worsening of the symptoms, asthma allergy treatment must include therapeutic and preventive measures.

It involves defense against allergens and contaminants that can aggravate your pulmonary system.

Your doctor uses antihistamines and leukotriene modifiers to treat asthmatic allergic responses. The purpose of the medication is to prevent the immune system from flooding your body with histamines when it detects foreign antigens, which is common among asthma patients who live in polluted environments.

Immunotherapy lowers your hypersensitive IgE complex, which causes allergic reactions when foreign antigens enter your body. It’s not about decreasing your defenses but temporarily lowering them to aid recovery from asthmatic allergic reactions.