Coping With Allergies

Allergies severely affect individuals, especially those with existing lung conditions, worsening their symptoms & reducing lung function. Recognising the link between allergies & respiratory conditions is thus of utmost importance Identifying allergens, devising avoidance strategies, & implementing suitable treatments for both the respiratory condition & allergies helps improve quality of life.

What is allergy ?

Allergy occurs when your body’s immune system mistakenly recognizes a harmless substance (an allergen) as a threat It responds in exaggeration by producing antibodies targeting this allergen causing a wide variety of symptoms in people who are susceptible to it.

What are respiratory allergies ?

The type of allergies that affect the respiratory system are mainly allergic rhinitis or allergic asthma.

• Allergic rhinitis is a distressing inflammation of the upper airways & the membranes of the nose & eyes

• In allergic asthma there is inflammation of the respiratory airways within the lungs

What are symptoms of respiratory allergies ?

Patients with allergic rhinitis experience :

• Nasal congestion

• Excessive nasal discharge (runny nose)

• Frequent sneezing, itching sensations, & excessive tearing or watery eyes

Allergic asthma is a commonly faced illness that has the potential of being life-threatening to the patient

The respiratory airways in the lungs become inflamed & swollen in allergic asthma, causing:

• Chest tightness

• Shortness of breath

• Cough,

• Wheezing due to narrowing of airways

• Widespread airflow limitation in the lungs that can partially be reversed with medications

How are respiratory allergies diagnosed?

The diagnosis of respiratory allergies is based on the following :

• Patient's medical history

• A thorough physical examination & asking targeted questions about their symptoms

• Allergy tests such as skin prick tests & blood tests may be recommended by the doctor

• Lung function tests to assess the airflow obstruction & airway narrowing caused due to allergens

SUMMARY

• Allergies arise from the immune system's misidentification of harmless substances

• Respiratory allergies consist of allergic rhinitis & allergic asthma, with symptoms like runny nose, sneezing, watery eyes