Asthma & Allergy

Asthma is a condition in which there is swelling in the lung tubes causing their narrowing and makes it hard to breathe. Symptoms vary in severity from time to time with or with out treatment. It can occur at any age and usually runs in families. Untreated or uncontrolled bronchial asthma can lead to persistent symptoms, significant morbidity and may even lead to fatal attacks.

What causes a person to develop asthma?

Asthma can be triggered by external agents, such as irritants in the atmosphere which are breathed in, or by internal reactions within the body that have been caused by an external influence.

The kinds of provoking factors can be divided into two groups.

Non-specific factors: all asthma patients are affected by a number of general things that are referred to as irritants. They include exertion (ie exercise), cold, smoke, scents and pollution.

Specific factors: these are irritants or allergens in the form of pollen, dust, animal fur, mould and some kinds of food. An infection with a virus or bacteria, chemical fumes or other substances at the workplace and certain medicines, eg aspirin and other non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), may also cause an asthma attack.

What are causes of acute asthma attack?

• Exertion.
• Cold.
• Smoke.
• Air pollution including exposure to certain chemicals. An example is isocynates which are used in some painting and plastics industries.
• Airway infection.
• Allergies, eg to pollens, house dust mites, domestic animals (especially cats and horses), aspirin and non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), such as ibuprofen.

Allergy

Allergies, or allergic reactions, are common occurrences, which are caused by unnatural reactions between your body's immune system and foreign substances, which have gained access into the body. When these substances, known as allergens, enter your body, your immune system produces antibodies, which are responsible for warding off unwanted substances like harmful viruses or diseases and helping in the body's overall resistance.

However, when antibodies identify a particular allergen as harmful, when it really isn't, a reaction occurs which may lead to inflammation or infection of the skin, sinuses, the digestive tract and the respiratory tract, among others. Allergies usually differ from individual to individual and can vary from mild skin irritations to fatal life-threatening emergencies.

What are allergens?

Allergens are microscopic protein substances that are common and provoke allergic people to produce antidotes (antibodies).

The most common allergy provoking substances are:

• house dust mites
• pollen from weeds, grass, flowers and trees
• mould and mould fungus
• fur from cats and dogs
• medicines.