Spring is here! A time to fire up the grill, round up the family for your son’s tee ball game, take a dip in the pool or join a quick game of volleyball on the beach. While this sounds fun, unfortunately more than 60 million Americans are suffering with some not-so-fun diseases, asthma and allergies, hindering them from enjoying simple activities this time of the year. May is Asthma and Allergy Awareness Month, so we want to share information about these conditions with our community.
What is Asthma?
Asthma is a chronic disease that causes airways to become inflamed, making it hard to breathe. While there is no cure for asthma, there is treatment that can help alleviate you or your loved one’s symptoms.
Signs and Symptoms
- Coughing
- Shortness of breath
- Wheezing
- Chest tightness
Diagnosing Asthma
Staff in an emergency room or hospital may use a few different ways of testing for asthma. These include:
- Taking a detailed medical history
- A physical exam
- Lung function tests
- Chest or sinus X-ray
Treatment: The results of these tests will help decide what type of asthma you have. A doctor can then come up with a customize treatment plan that will best help you or your love one’s type of asthma which may involve a blend of medication and avoiding triggers.
What are Allergies?
Allergies are the most common condition that persists for an extended time or occurs often. An allergy occurs when the body’s immune system misclassifies a substance in the body as harmful and as a result overreacts to it. The substances that cause the allergic reaction are called allergens. When the allergy is triggered, the body creates an antibody called immunoglobulin E (IgE). These antibodies respond to the allergens, causing an allergic reaction. In the spring months, many people suffer from allergies due to pollen.
Common Symptoms
- Watery eyes
- Runny nose
- Sneezing
- A rash or hives
- Trouble breathing
- Swelling in your mouth or throat
Diagnosing Allergies
There are a few different ways of testing for allergies. These include:
- Reviewing your personal and medical history
- Giving you a physical exam
- Running tests to identify your allergens
Treatments: Good allergy treatment is based on your medical history and the severity of your symptoms. It can include three different treatment strategies: avoidance of allergens, medication options and/or immunotherapy (a treatment to train your immune system not to overreact).
The good news is treatment is available to help you and your family decrease symptoms. Feel empowered that you can lead a normal and vibrant life without the dark cloud of asthma and allergies looming over you.
As painful as experiencing asthma and allergies can be, our experienced The Colony ER Hospital staff is here to provide you with the utmost quality of services to help you and your family. In the case of any medical emergency, The Colony ER Hospital is there 24/7, 365 to provide compassionate, concierge-level emergency care to all patients.
Nutex Health, Inc supports you and your family’s health. You can depend on The Colony ER Hospital or any one of our concierge-level, freestanding emergency facilities to deliver the emergency care you deserve, 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.
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