Diagnosis Of Asthma – Symptoms and Allergy Tests.

It’s springtime; the trees are budding, the flowers are blooming…and you’re stuck inside, coughing and sneezing and hiding from the substances that trigger your allergic reactions. Having a cough or cold is bad at any times – having cold-type symptoms every year at the same times is even worse. There are various ways to treat an allergy cough and help you get back to enjoying life outdoors.

The early symptoms of asthma are coughing and wheezing. These are also the most visible signs and often put the doctors on an alert for further medical examinations. Mostly physicians are able to treat mild and moderate asthma. But it is advisable to undergo complete tests for a detailed diagnosis by an asthma specialist. Various tests that are used for asthma are:

Study of the Case History: A detailed study of the case history is done by the doctors.

There are various substances that can cause an allergy-triggered cough. The most obvious one is pollen, which plagues thousands of people across the country. Others include animal dandruff, dust, and mold. Before you run out and buy a cough suppressant so that you can have a rest from coughing, it’s good to remember that coughing is your body’s way of clearing the respiratory tract and lungs. It may not be in the best interest of your health to stop the cough immediately. There are packaged drinks that can be bought at a drug store that contain calming ingredients like honey or chamomile which can help to control your cough without suppressing it altogether.

This case history is generally obtained by asking a lot of questions usually through a written questionnaire. Generally the doctors want to know the details about the symptoms, time when the symptoms began and the kind of medication taken for relief. They also want to know about the seasonal patterns, smoking habits, effects of exercise or cold weather and effect of exposure to polluted weather. The situation related with asthma that may be present in one’s system is of interest to the doctors. Other kinds of allergies like hay fever, eczema or allergic reactions to any kind of food and drugs that may be present in a person’s system as also the conditions about repeated bouts of sinusitis, nosebleeds, loss of smell or taste, or ear infections. Also the presence of such symptoms in the person’s immediate and extended family is of utmost interest to the doctors.

If you have been suffering from a cough for over a week, and you believe it is allergy-related, it is best to make an appointment with your doctor. The doctor can diagnose what is causing your cough, and can also prescribe what would be the best treatment. He or she can choose from a variety of products that are already available, or can write you a prescription. Your doctor may advise that you take a cough syrup that helps to calm the throat but also allows you to continue coughing to clear your lungs.

Physical Examination: The physical examination focuses on the skin, eyes, nose, throat and chest. The skin is checked for eczema or hives. Ear and nose is checked for infections and any inflammations that would indicate any underlying allergies. Allergic rhinitis or hay fever is indicative of dark and deep circles under the eyes. These are also associated with asthma closely. The chest examination is most important part of a doctor’s physical examination for asthma. The doctors use stethoscope for detection of wheezing and measure the rate of movement of air in and out of the chest. The doctors sometimes ask the patient to exercise in order to interpret the exact status of wheezing. On other times they may be able to detect this completely just by asking a person to breathe deeply.

Once you have been diagnosed with an allergy, you now have a weapon you can use against the substances that cause your allergic reaction – knowledge. If you know what triggers a reaction, you can avoid it, or, in the case of an allergen like pollen, you can take allergy medication before stepping outside. Especially when you have a cough, one of the best steps you can take is to rest. If you have to work, take a nap when you come home. Give your body not only the medication, but the time it needs to recover and get you feeling healthy again... [read more]

Breathing Tests: Breathing tests measure lung capacity. These tests are conducted with the help of a machine. The patient is asked to breathe into a tube connected to the machine and the machine measures how much air is expelled from the lungs in one breath. These machines determine the quantity of air the lungs can hold, which determines the volume of the lung and the speed with which air can be exhaled out of the airway or bronchial tubes. If these initial tests are not normal the person is asked to inhale a bronchodilator drug and repeat the test. Testing the amount of air that a person can inhale in one second is called one second vital capacity test. This is perhaps the most important test in determining asthma.

In certain cases asthma becomes very acute and many complications arise out of an asthmatic attack. Children and young adults are more vulnerable to sudden and unpredictable attacks of asthma. These attacks are mostly triggered by allergens and excessive exercise. The immediate treatment for these is a puff or two of the inhaler or a nebulizer.

Laboratory Tests:

Eosinophil Test: The laboratory tests are done for exact diagnosis. Some of the simple tests include a nasal or sputum smear in which mucus from the nose or chest is examined under a microscope for an excess amount of white blood corpuscles called eosinophils.

But if these conditions of persist for a longer duration it is in the best interest that a doctor should be consulted immediately. The patients who repeatedly show such tendencies of persistence of symptoms should never take their condition lightly. They should also be referred immediately to a hospital fully equipped with facilities to deal with any kind of emergency.

They are indicative of asthma or an allergic reaction and they increase in number many times over when the condition of asthma or allergy arises. The severity of asthma is indicative of the rise of the numbers of eosinophils. In infants and toddlers sweat test and gamma globulin tests may also be done to come to conclusions about their asthma condition.

Skin Tests: The skin tests detect the presence of allergens with the help of antibodies which are present in the skin.

Also it is generally seen that a specialist in dealing with asthma cases is a much more preferred doctor in such cases. Most of the time it is seen that the people do take care to report emergencies when their kids are involved but they do not take enough care of themselves and do not report their own problems in time. This many-a-time aggravates their situation often making it go completely out of hand.

The extract of antibody in the skin with its corresponding antigen is applied to the skin. This causes the release of histamine or histamine like substance by the tissues and results in redness around the test site.

In scratch tests some superficial scratches or abrasions of about ј cm length are made on the cleansed skin of the arm or the forearm. These scratches are not deep enough to cause any bleeding.

There are some signals that to an asthmatic person indicate hospitalization. The early warning signs that an asthmatic person should never negate are:
• Fast heart rate and rapid respiration.
• Major problem in breathing by the use of neck and rib muscles.
• Severe case of wheezing.
• Persistent sweating.
• Cyanosis or blue colour in lips and finger nails.
• Perplexed state of mind and reduced clarity in thinking.

Over these scratches allergenic extracts are applied. After about fifteen minutes these extracts are removed and reactions are observed by comparisons with the control tests.

In the intracutaneous tests the allergenic extracts are introduced into the skin by a syringe. This test is to be done with utmost care as if not done properly they can sometimes cause an allergic reaction. Otherwise they are very safe and are conducted on children also.

Blood Tests: Blood tests are also used for detecting allergy by many doctors.

The patients should be hospitalized and given oxygen inhalation therapy. Along with these several drug therapies are also given. Most of the patients recover after hospitalization of five to seven days.

In these tests a small sample of blood is processed through an analyser to see if the blood contains allergic antibodies for certain allergens. These tests are very useful when the doctor cannot perform skin tests for fear of initiating an allergic reaction in the patient’s body.

There are some cases in which asthma can turn life threatening. These patients experience a situation called acute respiratory failure. In this condition the bronchial tubes are completely blocked. The lungs in this condition are devoid of life sustaining oxygen and they also cannot get rid of the toxic carbon dioxide. In such severe condition the machines called ventilators are used to take up the function of respiration...

Provocation Inhalation Tests: In order to confirm a doubtful skin reaction test some doctors also perform the provocation inhalation test. The extract which showed doubtfully positive results is given to the patient to see if the patient gets breathless after inhaling it. The spasm produced in the airway as a result of positive reaction is measured by making the person take a breath test.

Asthma and Allergies: Asthma Due to Allergens.

By definition, an allergy is an inflammation caused by certain irritants called allergens. Allergens can take many forms. A very common type is nick named “hay fever” and is caused by certain pollens in the air. Hay fever is called a “seasonal” allergy, because it affects people only at those times of year the pollen in commonly airborne. Other people experience allergies to foods or animals.

Many asthmatics have severe aggravation in their condition due to allergies to certain allergens. Common allergens causing asthma are:

Plant Pollens: Pollen grains are the powdery substance produced by the plants for the process of reproduction. Individual pollen grains are very small in size so collectively they appear as a powdery substance. Pollen grains of different plants are of many different shapes and sizes.

Allergies come in different intensities. Watery eyes or a runny nose may define a mild allergy. An over-the-counter antihistamine or one needing a prescription can usually overcome this. Simple location awareness can be practiced. If you know which pollens you are allergic to, stay away from those types of plants. This is more difficult if you’re allergic to plants found everywhere, like grass. In these cases you may want to consider getting allergy shots.

They get disseminated by wind, water or animal sources to far and wide places. Some people are allergic to pollens of some plants. Since the pollen emergence is seasonal their allergy is also seasonal.

It is mostly seen that the pollen that get disseminated with wind cause allergic asthma in people. Generally the flowers of plants that have wind disseminated pollen are unattractive in appearance and smaller in size. Pollens are generally released early in the mornings, often before sunrise.

Medium levels of allergies can be characterized by more constant sneezing, as well as swelling of various affected parts of the body. Very bad allergy attacks can actually be life threatening. For example, a mold allergy may make the respiratory paths swell to the point of being unable to breathe. Antihistamines, steroids and immunotherapy can all be used to decrease these symptoms.

Many patients who are sensitive to them also develop symptoms around that time. For allergic people it is important to know the pollen calendar of a place before one has plans to settle down there, or is only visiting the place, if one is susceptible to pollen allergies. It is also recommended to keep the windows closed and prefer to be in air conditioned atmosphere.

Fungi: Fungi are saprophytic plants that are very small in size. So they appear as fibrous growth on the surfaces they grow.

Food allergies can be particularly dangerous. Peanuts, milk and eggs are the most common sources of food allergies. Sensitivities can result in airway blockages as described above, as well as abdominal twinges and cramps. Itchy rashes can also appear; first on the more sensitive skin areas, such as the back of the neck or inside of the arms, then spreading all over. These rashes are usually the last symptom to go away. They can be treated with a cortisone cream.

They are basically scavengers and help in decay and break up of dead organisms into basic chemical components. Some fungi are very useful and are put to various uses. Antibiotics like penicillin and streptomycin are made from them. Various mushrooms are fungi varieties. Alcohol, wine, cheese and various bakery products made by the process of fermentation are made by the use of many fungi. They propagate mostly by vegetative growth.

The spores produced in the process are released as powdery substance. Some people are allergic to these spores.

Another common allergy is to insect stings. When severe, these can also be life threatening. Everyone is allergic to bee stings. That’s why they cause a minor swelling at the point of insertion. Most of us, however, can get stung, put a band-aid on it and forget it. A person with a severe bee allergy could die within minutes of getting stung from airway blockage. This requires such people to carry medicine such as epinephrine with them at all times.

They cause allergic asthma in people. It helps to study the fungal calendar just as in the case of pollens. The peak periods of fungal spore concentration are the months of September to November and February to April. The people who are allergic to various fungi may show allergic reactions even after consumption of foods containing them. Mushroom allergy is known to be very common.

The people suffering with fungi allergies should take additional precautions apart from following the fungal calendar.

Animal/pet allergies are often the hardest to identify. You can have allergic symptoms for months after exposure to the allergen animal. This makes it difficult to identify what it is you’re allergic to.

They should avoid any accommodation in basements of buildings whether for official or residential purposes. Plastered and painted walls should be preferred instead of wall papered ones, which may catch moisture faster. All rooms and spaces should be very well ventilated. Potted plants should be avoided inside living spaces.

Many people know they are allergic to dogs or cats, but still feel the need to have one around them. There are ways to do this, as long as your allergy isn’t too severe. There are dogs that don’t shed, which are usually the best types for allergy sufferers. These are poodles, schnauzers and many terriers. You might try keeping an outdoor dog, as that will keep the allergens away from your own living area. If your pet does stay indoors, vacuum the carpet every day and the drapery every month using a HEPA filter. This will help alleviate your symptoms.

House Dust: Many people are allergic to house dust. The dust that settles over the various furniture and furnishings in the house is collectively called house dust. It may comprise of the outside dust and also the various kinds of dust that originate inside the house. It may be from food remnants, from the pets, from insects in the house, from human hair and skin and many other such sources.

The house collects more in carpets, beddings, old furniture, and other nooks and crannies. Normally such dust is not visible. It can be seen in the shaft of sunlight entering a room. The people who are allergic dust are actually shown to be allergic to mites occurring in the dust.

Another thing that may be necessary is to keep your cat or dog from sleeping on your bed. Since you sleep about a third of each day, having your allergens sleep next to you will reduce your rest and perhaps have you symptom-ridden the next day. You may also want to consider showering before bed to get rid of any hair and dander clinging to you. If you're still having problems, ban pets from the bedroom altogether. Then you’ll have one allergy-free haven to which you can escape... [read more]

The most common house dust mite is named Dermatopagoides pteronyssinus. These mites live and feed on the components of the house dust. Those who are allergic to house dust should keep their living spaces scrupulously clean. They should avoid putting too much of furniture and heavy furnishings in their rooms.

Food Articles: Many people are allergic to different food articles. Different symptoms may be caused in different people allergic to various foods like gaseous distension, diarrhoea, urticaria, headache, swelling of lips, sores in the mouth cavity and many others. Sometimes the symptoms appear immediately and sometimes they take a while to manifest. Also the food allergies may be dependent upon the seasonal changes. Many infants are allergic to milk especially cow’s milk. Wheat, fish, egg and mushrooms are common food allergens. The diagnosis is dependent upon elimination diets as skin tests are generally of not of much help.

Insects: Insect bites normally cause pain and swelling due to the introduction of insect venom inside the system. The degree of manifestation of symptoms depends upon the quantity of venom. The insects can be of two types the stinging insects and the biting insects. However the symptoms are never fatal. Some people are allergic to remnants of insects.

Animals: Many people are allergic to different animals among these most common ones are domestic animals like cats and dogs. Other animals may be horses, cows, buffaloes and other fur bearing animals. The allergy is mostly caused by animal dander.

Occupational allergens: Many people are allergic to substances that they may come in contact on account of their occupation. Some common examples are bakers getting allergic to flour, cement workers allergic to cement, sulphur allergy in workers in different medicine factories, workers allergic to leather dust and hairstylists and beauticians allergic to various chemicals in beauty products.