Tag Archives: allergy center

Can You Beat Allergies?

If you have been struggling with allergies you are most likely asking, can you beat allergies? The answer is yes, you can do it. Besides visiting an allergist for some medication, there are plenty of other things you can do to beat allergies. Some of these things include:

Shut out the allergens

If you are allergic to pollen and other allergens that bring about seasonal allergies, work on keeping the allergens out of the house as possible. One of the most effective ways to go about it is to keep the windows and doors closed during allergy season to protect the indoor air from getting polluted.

Minimize going outside

Since you have locked the doors and windows, you don’t want to drag the allergens into the house, do you?

To ensure that this doesn’t happen, you should minimize going outside. In fact, you will be better off if you can avoid going outside altogether.

If you have to go outside, ensure that you do it when the pollen count isn’t too high, usually late in the afternoon. As a rule of thumb, avoid going outside when there is a lot of pollen, such as early in the morning or when strong winds are blowing.

Wash up

You have worked hard to keep the windows and doors closed, and you don’t want to reverse all of your efforts, do you? To avoid this, always wash up as soon as you come back from the outside.

Even before you step into the house, remove the coat, hat, and even the shoes that might be carrying some pollen. You should then go straight to the bathroom, take a shower, and put away the clothes you were wearing.

Stay ahead of the allergy symptoms.

Asthma and allergy foundation of America (AAFA) observes that the best way to beat allergy is always to stay ahead of it. You can do this by taking medications even before the allergy season strikes.

Allergy medications prevent the body from releasing histamine and other chemicals that make your life unbearable, so when you start your medications early enough, you don’t develop the symptoms meaning that you will have beaten the allergies.

There are plenty of medications you can use to beat the allergies, such as antihistamines and sprays. Most of the medications are available over the counter, but it’s always wise to consult your healthcare provider for the best advice.

Wear a mask

Most people have come to know about masks with the advent of the Covid-19 pandemic, but if you want to beat allergies, you have to wear the mask whether there is Covid or not.

The purpose of the mask is to protect you from inhaling the allergens.

For the best protection, go with N95 respirator masks that you can easily find from your local medical supply stores and drugstores.

Eat healthily

Allergies compromise your immune system, so if you want to beat the condition, you need to strengthen your body’s defense system.

One of the most effective ways is to eat healthy foods such as fresh vegetables, fruits, and nuts.

During the allergy season, stock up on tomatoes, oranges, apples, grapes, and other foods that will help you fight the annoying allergens.

Know your triggers

You can’t fight something you don’t know about, can you? So to have an easy time-fighting allergies, ensure that you know the allergens triggering your condition.

The best way to do it is to visit your allergy doctor Manassas VA, who will undertake a battery of tests and help you know what your body is allergic to. As a rule of thumb, stay away from these allergy-causing materials.

Does Exercise Help Asthma?

When many people have asthma, they rush to buy asthma medications or see the available asthma doctor. What they don’t realize is they can ease the symptoms by exercising.

Does exercise help asthma? When done right, it does ease the symptoms. The reason for this is because the exercises:

  • Reduce inflammation
  • Improve lung capacity
  • Increase endurance
  • Improve the cardiovascular fitness
  • Strengthen muscle

For best results, avoid exercising outdoors in frigid temperatures, as the low temperatures will worsen the condition. Some of the best asthma exercises that you can engage in include:

Indoor swimming

As much as you will be interacting with low water temperatures, swimming is one of the best asthma exercises you can engage in. It exerts fluid pressure on the chest, you have low pollen exposure, and you breathe in moist, warm air.

While swimming is a great exercise, you should be cautious as the chlorinated waters have been problematic for some people. If you aren’t used to swimming, take caution when you are getting in the waters as you might be allergic to the waters.

Diaphragmatic breathing

If you are into yoga or you don’t like engaging in strenuous exercises, you can engage in diaphragmatic breathing and other types of breathing exercises.

In diaphragmatic breathing, you need to learn how to breathe from the region around the diaphragm instead of from your chest. And by so doing, you strengthen your diaphragm, slow your breathing and decrease the body’s oxygen needs.

To practice diaphragmatic breathing, you need to lie on your back with your knees bent and the pillow under your knees. You can also opt to sit up straight on your chair. With one of your hands on your upper chest and the other on your stomach, breathe slowly through your nose.

While moving the hand on your stomach but keeping the one on your chest still, breathe slowly through your pursed lips. You should keep practising this technique until you can breathe in and out without moving your chest.

You can engage in other excellent breathing exercises such as: nasal breathing, Buteyko breathing, yoga breathing, and pursed-lip breathing.

Recreating biking

Do you love biking? You should pick up your bike and use it to leisurely bike around the estate. Since you are asthmatic, don’t exert a lot of pressure on it as it can worsen the situation. For best results, bike at a leisurely pace.

If it’s during the high pollen season, consider doing the biking when there isn’t a lot of pollen in the air. You can even do indoor cycling on a stationary bike so that you don’t come into contact with the annoying pollen.

Hiking

Hiking is another excellent exercise you can engage in but don’t do the hiking on a steep trail. The right way to go about it is to choose a relatively flat trail or a steady decline, then have fun.

Before you go out, first check the local pollen count and only proceed with hiking if the pollen levels are low.

Valuable tips for exercising with asthma

Use an inhaler before you exercise. The inhaled medications will relax the airways, making it easy for you to breathe during physical activity.

Warm-up and cool down. Before you begin the exercises, let the body adjust the exercise and when you are done with the exercise, gradually stop the activity.

When you are going outside, cover your nose and mouth with a mask or scarf. This is to prevent the dryness of the cool air from tightening your airways.

Finally, experts in allergy center Germantown MD recommend limiting your exposure to pollen and pollution as much as possible by exercising indoors or only going outside when the pollen count is low in the air.

Bronchiecstasis: Not Your Ordinary Respiratory Illness

Bronchiectasis is a chronic health condition wherein the airway walls become enlarged. It causes the build-up of mucous and makes your lungs prone to infection. The most common effects of bronchiectasis are shortness of breath and coughing with phlegm. Symptoms are usually worse if there is a lung infection.

What you need to know about bronchiectasis

For one, this condition makes your lung’s bronchial tubes are damaged permanently. A damaged airway causes mucous build-up and accumulation in your lungs. As a result, coughing up mucous and even blood is a normal occurrence for someone who has this respiratory condition.

It is also said that bronchiectasis is a complication of allergic bronchopulmonary aspergillosis (ABPA). This condition refers to those who have allergic reactions to aspergillus, a type of fungi found in various environments around the world. If you have this condition, it would be best to visit an allergy clinic for proper treatment.

When someone with ABPA comes into contact with fungal spores, it can cause allergic reactions and can eventually lead to bronchiectasis. Unfortunately, there is no permanent cure yet for bronchiectasis but can be manageable. It can also not affect your daily life with help of proper treatment. You can also go to an allergy doctor as needed.

What causes bronchiectasis?

A lung injury is often the cause of this condition, either due to cystic fibrosis (CF) bronchiectasis or non-CF bronchiectasis. The former is a chronic condition that causes excessive mucous production. Cystic fibrosis usually affects the liver, pancreas, and other organs that can weaken their functions.

On the other hand, non-CF bronchiectasis is not related to CF whatsoever. Non-CF bronchiectasis can also lead to other health conditions such as:

  • Lung infections (ex. tuberculosis, whopping cough, etc.)
  • Inflammatory bowel disease
  • Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD)
  • Allergic aspergillosis
  • HIV

As mentioned, bronchiectasis can also lead to an allergic reaction which can be potentially life-threatening.  In such a case, you should consult a trusted allergist doctor to help you manage your condition.

Symptoms of bronchiectasis

It is said that around 110,000 people in the US suffer from bronchiectasis. Those who have this condition are also diagnosed with asthma, CF, and immunodeficiency diseases. For those with asthma, make sure to go to an asthma doctor for proper asthma treatments.

Older people and women are more at risk of having bronchiectasis, although it can also occur in men and at any age. Bronchiectasis occurs due to mucous build-up that causes inflammation to the lungs. Tiny hairs in the airways, called the cilia, are mostly damaged which makes it difficult for the mucous to get out of the body.

Among common symptoms of bronchiectasis include the following:

  • Coughing a large amount of blood and mucous
  • Breathing difficulties
  • Chest pain
  • Wheezing
  • Fatigue
  • Fever and chills
  • Weight loss
  • Clubbing (the abnormal change of fingernail and toenail structure)
  • Being more prone to respiratory infections

If you experience at least one of these symptoms, go to the nearest allergy specialist doctor or any professional medical personnel for proper diagnosis and treatment.

Treating bronchiectasis

As mentioned, there is no permanent cure for this condition. However, certain treatments can lessen inflammation and infections due to bronchiectasis.

For one, those who have this condition would have to take macrolides. It is a type of antibiotic to ease inflammation and treat the bacteria in the airways. Taking mucolytics is also effective in mucus thinning.

Oxygen therapy is also prescribed for those who have this condition to improve their breathing and their quality of life. In the worst cases, you would have to undergo surgery to get rid of any airway blockage. Also, make sure to stay hydrated to help clear out the mucous.

Best to avoid smoking and being near polluted air and other toxic chemicals in the air to maintain healthy lungs. Ensure to have you and your children regular vaccinations against measles, flu, and whooping cough to lessen the risk of contracting bronchiectasis later in life.

Prevention is the key to ensure one’s quality of life. However, bronchiectasis has no permanent cure although some treatments can lessen the impact of its symptoms. Since it can also be triggered by allergies, best to lessen or avoid contact with fungi and other similar allergens.

Speaking of allergies, you should visit a trusted allergist specialist doctor in Manassas VA for proper allergy treatments.