Aside from making you feel miserable, allergies and asthma have a lot in common. The same substances that trigger allergy symptoms, like pollen, pet dander, and dust mites, can also exacerbate asthma.

For some people, allergies cause asthma attacks, a condition called allergic asthma or allergy-induced asthma. However, allergies and asthma don’t always occur together.

In other forms of asthma, symptoms may worsen due to other factors like exercise, stress, or cold weather.

There are many possible causes of allergies, asthma, and the combination of the two.

Allergies

Allergies occur when you encounter an allergen, a typically harmless substance that triggers allergy symptoms, and your immune system tries to fight it off.

For example, breathing in pollen, mold, or dust mites can cause symptoms like watery eyes, coughing, and sneezing. A skin rash that results from contact with an allergen like nickel is another example.

Asthma

Asthma is a condition that makes your airways narrow and inflamed, which causes difficulty breathing.

Allergic asthma

When allergies and asthma occur together, your airways become sensitive to one or more allergens. 

Breathing in these allergens can cause a cascade of reactions that make it hard to breathe, like tightness in your airways, inflammation of your throat, and excess mucus production. You may also experience coughing, wheezing, chest tightness, or the inability to catch your breath.

There are many at-home treatments and rescue medications for allergies, asthma, and allergic asthma. However, you should seek medical care right away if you notice any of the following:

• Gasping
• Chest pain
• Fainting or collapsing
• Inability to fully breathe in or out
• Shortness of breath and difficulty speaking
• Bluish color in the lips, nails, or face
• Rapid breathing, wheezing, or coughing
• Confusion or exhaustion

For severe symptoms, call 911 to receive emergency medical transportation. However, if the symptoms are milder, walk-in to Blue Star Urgent Care.

Blue Star Urgent Care offers treatment for allergies, asthma, and allergic reactions in children and adults of all ages. Depending on your needs, treatment for allergies and asthma may include:

• Allergen avoidance
• Medications in the form of a pill, liquid, nasal spray, or eye drops
• Immunotherapy, which is a series of injections or tablets you take over time
• Emergency epinephrine, such as EpiPen® injections
• Quick-relief asthma medications
• Long-term asthma control medications

For the timely treatment of allergies and asthma, call Blue Star Urgent Care, contact the practice online, or walk-in to the clinic nearest you.