It has been calculated that approximately 60% of all asthma cases are caused by allergies. No cure yet exists for asthma but with treatment asthma attacks can be greatly reduced in both frequency and severity and the asthma sufferers general health can be much like that of a normal person.

Allergic asthma is a chronic inflammatory disorder of the airways. When exposed to the allergen, allergic asthma sufferers experience an attack. During an asthma attack, the airways become blocked or narrowed, causing shortness of breath, coughing, wheezing, and chest tightness.

Sypmtomatically allergic asthma is the same as normal asthma, it is the cause of the attacks that differ. So it is important to correctly diagnose the allergen which is causing the attacks. Once this has been done the patient can organise their life in such a way as to avoid contact with the allergen.

Oftentimes allergic asthma can be caused by multiple allergens, this can complicate diagnosing the allergens causing attacks. Some of these allergens will only be present in the atmosphere occasionally or seasonally (such as pollen from plants).

If allergic asthma and the allergen are not identified correctly, medical treatment might not help much, if at all, in neutralizing the influence of the allergen. What is more, about 50 percent of adults and over 80 percent of children are allergic to something in their environment, i.e. to something they are exposed all the time.

There are many possible allergens which can afflict asthma sufferers, however there is a relatively small set of common allergens which can be identified by skin or blood tests such as pollen, dust, mold, chemicals, trees and other plant life, insects, etc. There are some other possible causes for asthma attacks such as cold air, exercise, viral infections and tobacco smoke.

Certain allergens are impossible to avoid without severely changing your day to day life (such as air pollution), in this case all that can be done is to limit your exposure to the allergen.

If you are encountering the allergen at home there is more you can do to eliminate exposure to it. Dust is a very common allergen, it can be eliminated from the home by cleaning (carpets especially) using a deep dust extraction vacuum cleaner or a standard cleaner with special dust filters. Of course to avoid contact with the dust it is best if someone who is not allergic does the cleaning.

Even if you love pets, their presence may be a trigger for an asthma attack. It may be necessary to keep them away from the house, as the only alternative to finding them another home. Also, keep doors and windows shut, because for asthma sufferers fresh air is not good ~ if it is cold outside, the cold air could trigger an attack; if it is spring ~ the smell of trees and grass also might lead to asthma attacks.

Sometimes the sufferer might need "desensitization" or immunotherapy, which is a treatment involving injections of increasing doses of the allergen, until the body does not react to the allergen anymore. This is usually done in cases where the allergen cannot be avoided.

Sacha Rigson is the webmaster and owner of Asthma Co Her site has a widespread collection of information on asthma, including a free newsletter, resources and articles about asthma. For lots of information about asthma, go to:
http://www.asthmaco.com

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