A COMPREHENSIVE ANALYSIS OF ASTHMA AND ALLERGIES PT 2

Studies have also found a strong relationship between some emotions and asthma, such as anxiety, crying, shouting, or laughing continuously. Besides, taking medications such as ibuprofen, aspirin, and other beta-blocker drugs that are used treat conditions like glaucoma, high blood pressure, and migraine can also lead to allergic reactions and asthma in some cases.

Diagnosis

Experts at community healthcare centers can recommend several tests to diagnose asthma. Usually, the doctor will review the medical history of the patient and ask about the symptoms before suggesting a physical exam. The common tests used to diagnose allergic asthma include:

• Pulmonary function test: This is done to measure how well the lungs are functioning.
• Peak expiratory flow: This is done to determine the maximum speed of air that the patient can exhale.
• Methacholine challenge test: This is done to see if the airways of the patient are sensitive to methacholine, an irritant that constricts the bronchial tubes.

Your primary care doctor or pediatric doctor may also recommend a chest X-ray, allergy tests, blood tests, and other imaging scans to see if any other underlying conditions are causing the symptoms. This way, the doctor can devise the best treatment plan to counter the effects of allergic asthma.

Treatment

Asthma patients are advised to avoid allergic triggers, take the medications as prescribed, and carefully monitor the symptoms to avoid or limit asthma episodes. The commonly recommended drugs to treat allergic asthma include:

• Bronchodilators: These relax the muscles that make the airway narrow, in turn allowing more airflow through the bronchial tubes to and from the lungs. The three types of bronchodilators used to treat asthma are theophylline, beta2 agonists, and anticholinergics.
• Anti-inflammatory drugs: These reduce the swelling of the muscles in the airway as well as lessen mucus production. The most common anti-inflammatory drugs prescribed to treat asthma include Triamcinolone, Ciclesonide, Budesonide, Fluticasone Furoate, Beclometasone Dipropionate, and Fluticasone Propionate.
• Leukotriene modifiers: These limit the reactions that trigger asthma, thereby improving the airflow and reducing asthma symptoms. The common leukotriene modifiers recommended to treat asthma include zafirlukast, montelukast, and zileuton, which can be taken either as pills or as granules that can be mixed with food.
• Immunomodulators: These medications help to regulate the immune system in the body, which in turn makes the patient resistant to allergies. The common immunomodulators used to fight asthma include Omalizumab, Reslizumab, and Mepolizumab, which are usually administered as intravenous injections.

Sometimes, the doctor may also recommend cromolyn sodium to treat the condition. This is a different type of anti-inflammatory drug, which works as a mast cell stabilizer, inhibiting the release of asthma triggering chemicals in the body. This is usually prescribed for children.