Seasonal Asthma
What is asthma?
Asthma is a chronic (ongoing) condition that happens when your airways become swollen, tight and produce mucus, narrowing your airways and making it harder to breathe. Often this happens in response to an allergen in the air, which you’ve breathed in and which has triggered that narrowing of your airways.
There are many different types and patterns of asthma. Some people find their asthma is triggered by products like aerosol sprays, others notice it’s worse when they exercise or that their symptoms mainly come at nighttime.
What is seasonal asthma?
Seasonal asthma is a type of allergic asthma where your symptoms are triggered by allergens that appear at different times of the year.
Most people with asthma have allergic asthma. That means your asthma is triggered by allergens around you. Up to 80% of people with asthma also live with allergies and there’s a complex interplay between the allergies and the asthma.
How your body responds to an allergen
If you’re allergic to something, your immune system swings into action to fight off and defeat what it perceives to be an invader.
Unfortunately, it’s a big overreaction that causes more problems than it fixes.
To fight off the allergen, your immune system produces antibodies that trigger the release of histamine, leading to symptoms like runny noses, watery, itchy eyes and sneezing. If you’re prone to asthma, that process may also affect your lungs and airways, making it harder to breathe.
What are the symptoms of seasonal asthma?
Symptoms of allergic or seasonal asthma include:
Shortness of breath
Coughing
Wheezing when you breathe out
A feeling of tightness in your chest
Chest pain.
Triggers of seasonal asthma
Seasonal asthma may happen in response to allergies like:
Pollens from trees or grasses, which may trigger asthma symptoms from August to March or May
Mould and mildew, which are both fungi with many different varieties. Some moulds spread more easily in dry, windy weather while others multiply and spread in damp, humid conditions. If you enjoy rainforest hikes, you might be exposed to some types of mould while if you hibernate indoors during winter you might be exposed to other types of fungi in your home.
The weather – and your behaviour as a result of it:
○ Cold, dry air may irritate your airways and increase production of histamine, the hormone that flares up in response to allergies
○ Staying indoors may increase your exposure to dust mites, pet dander and mould
○ Hot air, whether it’s dry or humid, can trigger asthma
○ Heat traps pollutants in the atmosphere, increasing the risk of allergies and asthma.
How do you manage seasonal asthma?
To manage seasonal asthma well, you need to understand your asthma, your allergies and how the two influence each other.
That may involve:
Keeping a diary so you know how often and how severely you’re having allergy asthma symptoms
Your doctor performing some allergy tests, either by skin prick testing or blood test to identify the particular allergens that are affecting you
Discussing options for allergy management with your doctor now you have a clearer picture of what you’re allergic to
Developing an asthma action plan with your doctor that includes advice on how to step up your treatment if your allergies worsen at a particular time of year, for example.
Your seasonal asthma management plan may include:
Reducing your exposure to known triggers
Managing your allergies as advised by your doctor
Managing your asthma as advised by your doctor, which may include regular use of a preventive corticosteroid inhaler.
How can Peregian Family Medical Centre help?
We want you to be able to enjoy life all year round. The ability to breathe easily is vital for practically everything you may want to do. That’s why we take seasonal asthma seriously and work closely with you to identify your triggers, reduce your exposure and manage your symptoms relating to both your allergies and your asthma.
If you’re dealing with asthma, allergies or both, please book an appointment.
Disclaimer
All information is general in nature. Patients should consider their own personal circumstances and seek a second opinion.
