But did you know that allergies can trigger asthma? At least 80% of children and 50-60% of adults diagnosed with asthma have allergies that trigger their symptoms. That’s why it’s so important to identify your asthma triggers and develop a potential asthma maintenance plan. 

What are some of those triggers?

• High pollen counts 
• Food and medicine
• Sudden weather changes like strong or dry wind, humidity, or storms
• Poor air quality
• Colds, flu, a sinus infection, or acid reflux
• Strong perfumes and cleaning supplies
• Smoke
• Animal/pet dander
• Stress

UCR Health’s specially trained providers are here to help keep you healthy.

Asthma is a chronic condition, so scheduling consistent follow-up visits with an allergy and asthma specialist at UCR Health can help you control your disease and possibly prevent it from getting worse. 

During Allergy and Asthma Awareness Month and all months, we’re working to keep your breathing clear and easy. 

To speak with a UCR Health physician, please visit https://www.ucrhealth.org/make-an-appointment/ or give us a call at 1-844-827-8000.

About UCR Health

UCR Health is comprised of a team of physicians, specialists, and healthcare professionals dedicated to improving people’s health. With five medical offices located throughout the Inland Empire and Coachella Valley, UCR Health is growing to meet the healthcare needs of the region, bringing innovative, culturally sensitive medical care to the community. Established alongside the School of Medicine at the University of California, Riverside, UCR Health’s patient-centered primary care and specialty services deliver university-based healthcare excellence and innovation to all communities.

The post Allergy and Asthma Awareness Month appeared first on UCR Health.

What is asthma?

“Asthma is a chronic lung disease that can start in childhood,” says Dr. McGowan. “They become more sensitive to triggers in the environment that cause the muscles that should stay open in your lungs to contract a bit too much. This can also happen when someone gets a cold or upper respiratory infection. This affects the way air is transported out of the lungs and that’s why people [with asthma] feel like they cannot catch their breath or have trouble breathing. Asthma can also cause chronic inflammation in the lungs. We also know that genetics play a role, close family members may be more likely to also develop asthma.”   

Although asthma symptoms can occur differently for every child, Dr. McGowan advises parents to speak with a pediatrician if their child has a chronic cough that lasts for more than three to four weeks, even after a cold. This chronic cough would be usually worse at night, which can disrupt the child’s sleep. 

What are the triggers?

Asthma can be triggered by environmental allergies, secondhand smoke, and pollen. Babies and children are exposed to secondhand smoke by breathing in the smoke particles that remain on clothing. This exposure has been associated with an increased likelihood of developing asthma or causing an asthma exacerbation (asthma attack). The best way to reduce the risks of secondhand smoke is to stop smoking, but if you do smoke and must be in contact with a child, Dr. McGowan recommends changing your clothes and brushing your teeth before holding or playing with children. 

What are the treatment options?

According to Dr. McGowan, the most common treatment is Albuterol, which is a muscle relaxer. When you have asthma, “the muscles in your lungs can become triggered and start to contract,” she adds. This is where Albuterol comes in for the rescue – it helps the muscles to relax and make it easier for the person to breathe. “Everyone who has been diagnosed with Asthma will most likely be prescribed Albuterol to use whenever they have shortness of breath, trouble breathing, or have a persistent coughing episode, shares Dr. McGowan. 

The next avenue of treatment is figuring out what the triggers are. Once you know what is causing you to have the symptoms, you can reduce the triggers to ease your symptoms. Dr. Mcgowan says, “If asthma is triggered by environmental allergies, getting those allergies under control, and sometimes using an antihistamine, such as allergy medications, would be especially important. Some may need to use an inhaled corticosteroid daily to help reduce the inflammation in their lungs. This helps reduce the number of asthma exacerbations and the need to use albuterol frequently." 

What should I do if my child has an asthma attack?

"If you have a child who has asthma, make sure you have an asthma action plan that you discuss with their pediatrician. This is a plan on what to do when you notice the signs of an asthma exacerbation,” says Dr. McGowan. These signs include:   

• Rapid and shallow breathing  
• Nasal flaring  
• Chest retractions - “If you look at their belly and ribs, you can see the muscles between the ribs rapidly going in and out, contracting to help them breathe”  

“If you have medication at home, you can use Albuterol and observe the child to see if there is improvement within minutes of using the medication,” Dr. McGowan said. However, you need to seek immediate medical attention if there’s no improvement or if they need to use Albuterol more frequently than every four hours.  Dr. McGowan states that these are all the signs that they should go to the nearest urgent care or emergency room to seek medical care. 

How can I maintain a healthy respiratory system?

Below are the tips from Dr. McGowan on how to keep your lungs healthy:  

• Stay active and exercise  
• Maintain personal hygiene – wash hands frequently and avoid close contact with people who are sick   
• Get fresh air when there’s not a high pollen count – try not to spend too much time outdoors if you have environmental triggers 
• Take allergy medicine prescribed by your doctor if you know you have allergies – take it preventatively 

Would you like to speak to a physician with concerns regarding asthma and allergies? To schedule an in-person or virtual appointment with a UCR Health Physician, click here or give us a call at 1-844-827-8000.

About UCR Health

UCR Health is comprised of a team of physicians, specialists, and healthcare professionals dedicated to improving people’s health. With five medical offices located throughout Inland Empire and Coachella Valley, UCR Health is growing to meet the healthcare needs of the region, bringing innovative, culturally sensitive medical care to the community. Established alongside the School of Medicine at the University of California, Riverside, UCR Health’s patient-centered primary care and specialty services deliver university-based healthcare excellence and innovation to all communities.

The post National Asthma & Allergy Awareness Month appeared first on UCR Health.

Why are allergies worse in the spring?

This time of year, the majority of plants choose to send up their pollen to the breeze but irritants are present year-round depending on the climate or even the type of winter we’ve had. A mild winter can cause some plants to pollinate earlier, while a more rainy spring can lead to more irritating plant or mold growth.

What are the most common seasonal allergy symptoms?

Released pollen particles end up carried into our noses and cause an immune response, even if you’re not the one blowing the dandelion. That immune response is what causes our most common allergy symptoms such as sneezing, coughing, stuffy nose, and itchy nose, eyes, or ears. These upper respiratory symptoms of allergies are different than the severe anaphylactic reaction type of allergy. Anaphylaxis is a serious, life threatening allergic reaction characterized by a red itchy rash, swelling around the mouth or eyes, wheezing, coughing, or trouble breathing. Common triggers of anaphylactic reactions are certain types of foods, medications, insect stings, and latex.

What can I do to prevent allergy symptoms?

Avoiding allergy triggers is one of the best ways to prevent symptoms. However, you do not need to trap yourself in a bubble or miss out on the view of the snow topped green mountains to avoid pollen-triggered seasonal allergies! Instead, try to avoid specific types of plants that you know trigger symptoms. For example, don’t sit at that lunch table under the eucalyptus trees if you know you sneeze every time you are near. If you aren’t sure of what exactly is your triggering pollen culprit, here are a few tips to limit your overall exposure during allergy season:

• Check the weather report for pollen or smoke. If the pollen count is high, consider limiting your outdoor activities. Avoid smoke such as fireplaces or smoke from a wildfire.
• Close windows and doors in your home and in your car.
• When you’re done enjoying the outdoors, take a shower and wash your clothes as soon as you come in to avoid tracking the pollen into your home.
• If you have severe allergies and need to work or spend time outdoors, a NIOSH-rated 95 filter mask may help limit pollen exposure.

Now that I've got allergies, what can I do?

Despite all these precautions, many of us continue to sneeze. If you’ve got allergy symptoms, there are a few over the counter options that may help you feel better:

• A saline nasal spray can help wash away pollens and decrease swelling in your nose.
• Mild allergy symptoms can be treated with second-generation antihistamine medications such as loratadine, desloratadine, levocetirizine, and fexofenadine.
• If symptoms are affecting your daily life, a pharmacist or physician may recommend an over the counter intranasal corticosteroid such as fluticasone furoate or triamcinolone acetonide.

When do I need to see a doctor for allergies?

If your allergy symptoms are persisting and getting in the way of your life, it’s time to see your doctor. She may recommend some of the over the counter options above or additional prescription allergy treatments. In some cases, an allergy evaluation may be helpful to discover your triggers. Also, be sure to check in with your doctor if your symptoms are different than your usual allergies; it could be something different this time.

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