Morn than 10% of children and about 3-5% of adults have asthma and around 25% people suffer from allergic rhinitis in our country. Asthma causes narrowing of the airways or breathing tubes in the lungs, making breathing difficult at times.

Asthma can significantly affect patients lives – at school, at work, at play and at home. Asthma may be defined as a chronic inflammatory disorder of the airways characterized by wheezing, breathlessness, chest tightness and cough that is often reversible either spontaneously or with treatment.

A positive family history of atopic or allergic disorders, and the presence of smokers in the family are significant factors influencing development of asthma in children.

Other triggering factors of asthma are:

Infections such as cold, flu, or pneumonia

Allergens such as food, pollen, mould, dust mites, and pet dander

Strenuous exercise in dry, cold air

Air pollution and toxins

Extreme changes in temperature

Drugs (such as aspirin, NSAID and beta-blockers)

Food addictives, raisins, bananas, wine, aerated drinks

Emotional stress and anxiety

Perfumes or sprays

Acid reflux

Questions to consider in the diagnosis of asthma

Has the patient had an attack or recurrent attacks of wheezing?

Does the patient have a troublesome cough at night?

Does the patient experience wheezing, chest tightness or cough after
exposure to airbourne allergens or pollutants?

Does the patient’s cold “go to the chest” or take more than 10 days to clear up?

Are symptoms improved by appropriate asthma treatment?

Asthma patients usually have rhinitis, sneezing and blocked nasal passage and itchiness in the throat due to accompanying allergic rhinitis.

Before it is increased to a severe level, it is always suggested that you should visit the doctor for asthma treatment. Some times asthma is the out come of some severe respiratory allergy but it does not pop out immediately. It evolves gradually. The best way to avoid allergy in asthma treatment is to keep an eye on the things (may be certain eatables or some biotic factor) that harm you. Research is going on for asthma treatment but still there is no final solution to it.


Asthma Signs and Symptoms

The top 5 asthma signs and symptoms are

Wheezing:
Probably the most common asthma symptom there is. Wheezing is the “whistling” sound that you make when trying to breathe. Wheezing can be a good determinant of how severe the incoming attack will be since it is almost directly related to how bad the condition is becoming. Depending on the severity of your condition, you may or may not experience wheezing symptoms.

Coughing:
The second most common asthma symptom there is. Coughing can mean big trouble as it can mean obstruction or gradual constriction of the air passages thereby triggering your body to cough just so air could move in and out of the body. The coughing associated with asthma can be characterized as either productive (with mucus) or unproductive (without).

Tightness of the chest:
Another classic asthma symptom. Tightness of the chest can also somewhat
accurately determine the severity of the incoming attack as it can be directly linked to the condition of the air passages.

Pain in the chest:
Probably one of the most misleading and inaccurate asthma symptoms. The pain that can be experienced may vary from moderately tolerable to something that mimics a heart attack. Not only that, chest pains can also be very misleading as you can experience mild tolerable pain one moment then have it followed by a severe attack and vice versa.

How to Prevent Asthma?

There are many ways for a person to prevent asthma attacks. When it is quite severe, the following five tips might be effective in helping sub-side asthma attacks:

• Avoid locations that have poor air quality. Asthma sufferers should try being in fresh air as much as possible

• Avoid exercising to extremes as this causes significant strain on the lungs. Asthma sufferers should be wary of this in order to not further worsen their health.

• Efforts should be made to avoid any known causes of allergies, as allergies can cause reactions that affect the respiratory system

• Asthma sufferers should maintain a strong diet, with attention to taking additional vitamins and supplements to restore health in the body

• For those who have been prescribed medication, this must be taken without excuse, as it is specifically designed to help your body repair itself

Asthma sufferers should take their condition seriously and avoid making any crucial changes to a healthy lifestyle. Should you feel that you have symptoms which point to asthma, have yourself checked as soon as possible from a medical practitioner, who will be able to diagnose your condition to a better degree.

Symptoms of Dust Allergy

The symptoms of dust allergy are similar to those of hay fever. You will have a runny nose, itchy and watery eyes, and will sneeze repeatedly. These symptoms may intensify while you are cleaning the house, especially when changing the bed or vacuuming. In more serious cases those affected will have asthma-like symptoms with wheezing and labored breathing.

Dust Allergy Treatment

Make sure you are washing your sheets and pillow cases in hot water. You will want to wash them and your pillow every 2 weeks to keep things under control. If you end up buying the dust mite cover for the pillow (it goes under the pillowcase) the pillow should only need to be washed once a year. The covers are also effective against bed bugs; apparently those are becoming a growing problem these days. Replacing down pillows with synthetic filled pillows is also suggested.

Indoor Humidity is a huge factor. The mites thrive in high humidity environments (which is why they love a bed occupied with a warm body). It’s a good idea to reduce the humidity through de-humidifiers. Also running air conditioning does help.

It goes without saying but, frequent cleaning and vacuuming of rooms in high dust areas is also a very good idea. If you really need extreme help, then removing any carpeting and replacing with hardwood floors will also improve things as it is much easier and more efficient to clean.

Another thing is Air Purifiers. These are great not only for dust mites but other airborne allergens and unwanted particles. For this type of situation a HEPA air filter is recommended over one that uses ozone. The more powerful purifiers can take out 99.97% of airborne allergens down to.001 microns.

Certain conditions can trigger hives disease as an indication of the condition. Some underlying diseases that may trigger hives include thyroid disease, lymphoma, and dermatitis herpetiformis. Infections that may cause hives include intestinal worms, fungal infections, malaria, viral infections and chronic bacterial infections.

Hives Causes

Some cases of hives are due to an allergic reaction. Foods like chocolate; shellfish, peanuts, wheat, soy and berries can cause an outburst of hives. Exposure to substances like latex, animal saliva, weather extremes and physical stimulation are causal factors as well. Even emotional stress can trigger the emergence of hives itching.

Hives Side Effects

Here is a list of the possible side effects paired with the appropriate precautionary measure:
- The most prominent side effect of taking antihistamine is the drowsing effect it has. So if you are planning to go someplace and do something, then you might as well consider taking another medication or taking it at a later time. Physicians prescribe antihistamines to be tken at bedtime. Remember that for antihistamines to work properly you must; use the appropriate dose for you as deemed by your doctor and that it must be used for the ordered length of time.

- Headache, hoarseness, dry mouth and fatigue may also occur with taking in antihistamines. Your body may be able to adjust after a while.

- If any of these unlikely but serious side effects occur due to intake of hives medication, then you must tell your doctor immediately: rapid heartbeat, nervousness, dizziness, weakness, and wheezing.

- Be watchful of allergic reactions like: difficulty breathing, rash, dizziness, swelling and itching. These are serious allergic reactions that require immediate medical attention.

- Corticosteroids like hydrocortisone can have adverse effects when used long term. This is why doctors use it shortly and then after revert to the safer antihistamine if the symptoms have subsided.

Hives Home Remedies

Here are the most practical guidelines for hives home remedies.
- If you know the triggering cause, then you might as well stay away from it.

- If the cause is due to an underlying medical condition, then it has to be treated right away.

- If the cause is undetermined then stay away from stress. Researchers say that stress is a triggering factor for idiopathic hives. Idiopathic means that there is no discernible cause.

- Hives that are caused by an allergic reaction usually needs an antihistamine. Taking antihistamine is one of the first actions people take as primary hives home remedies. This may help in relieving the itching.

- Avoid too tight clothing and scratching. This will only worsen the inflammation and may cause a further break in the skin. If you can’t control it then try wearing protection like gloves or covering the hives properly.

- Try the use of trusted homeopathic products in the market. These products have been thoroughly studied by homeopathic experts. Some of its most renowned ingredients include; Hepar, Ichthyolum, Lachesis, Apis Mellifica and Arnica Montana. They all target the relief of the stinging, burning and itchy sensation that accompanies hives.