Chirping birds won’t be the only sound you hear this spring. More than 50 million Americans will be sneezing and wheezing, thanks to seasonal allergies. And if spring comes early again this year, allergy symptoms will be intense and last longer than average.
Each spring, many people renew their commitment to eat healthy and lose weight. After all, bathing suit season is right around the corner. But as health regimens kick into high gear, many people might find that instead of feeling good they are feeling worse. And the reason might be due to the one thing that should be helping: exercise.
Allergies are diseases of the immune system that cause an overreaction to substances called allergens. People who have allergies can live healthy and active lives.
If you have asthma, you and your healthcare provider should develop an asthma action plan that gives specific instructions for early treatment of your asthma symptoms. An asthma action plan is a written, individualized worksheet that shows you the steps to take to prevent your asthma from getting worse. It also provides guidance on when to call your healthcare provider or when to go to the emergency room right away.
While allergic asthma triggers only cause problems for people who are allergic to them, non-allergic triggers can be called equal opportunity offenders. What do I mean by this? When you are allergic, it is like having the key that turns the switch that starts the engine of asthmatic inflammation. No key (no allergy), no inflammation. With non-allergic triggers (especially the irritants listed below), no key is necessary. The irritant itself pushes a start button that turns the engine on directly. In short, if you have asthma, any of the triggers listed here can harm or affect you. You need not be allergic.