Affecting 1 in 11 people in England, asthma is a very common health condition. Climate changes, air pollution, and an increase in the amount of pollen in the air caused the number of asthma cases to rise over the past couple of decades. It is well known that elements mold, dust, and pollen can be the key trigger of asthmatic symptoms, depending on the time of the season. However, there is also a strong link between other underlying health conditions and asthma. Also, it is important to know the effects of the synergy of asthma and other health conditions. The following article will answer the relevant questions like how to manage the asthma symptoms, as well as related conditions effectively.
What health conditions are associated with asthma?
Allergies
Allergy-related asthma is considered to be one of the most common subtypes of asthma, usually triggered by particles like dust mites, pollen or pet hair. Therefore, allergic rhinitis is considered to be the most linked condition with asthma.
The symptoms of allergic rhinitis include inflammation inside of your nose caused by allergens like pollens. This condition is most commonly experienced during summer where all plantation is growing and generating pollen. However, this condition could also be triggered during other seasons from elements like dust mites or mold.
A similar case can be made in relation to the Eczema condition that causes dry, cracked, and itchy skin and is triggered by allergies as well. This condition could be genetic and is often can be found in people who also suffer from asthma or allergic rhinitis. Furthermore, other categories of allergies like food allergies are also common in those who have asthma conditions.
In summary, the allergens mentioned above could be linked to your asthma and worsen the severity of your condition with symptoms like feeling breathless, coughing, and wheezing as well as increasing your chances of experiencing asthma attacks. However, food allergies need extra attention because a combination of both asthma and food allergy can increase the risk of life-threatening asthma attacks.
Sinusitis
Sinusitis is a condition commonly experienced by individuals who suffer from asthma and involve uncomfortable and unpleasant effects on your nasal passages. Symptoms like headaches, pains in the face, and allergy-like feelings are common with this condition. Furthermore, this condition makes your nose runnier while the post-nasal drip of mucus down your throat can trigger and worsen your asthma cough.
Acid reflux/heartburn
Acid Reflux is a condition where the stomach acid flows and reaches your esophagus, irritating its lining and giving you the burning sensation in your chest or throat (aka heartburn). If this is chronic (called gastro-oesophageal reflux disease or GORD), it could start affecting your asthma too as well as cause other health damage like its link to sleep apnea. Considering that the usual causes of acid reflux are factors like consumption of alcohol or tobacco, as well as obesity, these things are also the common asthma triggers, further affecting your asthma symptoms.
Obstructive sleep apnea
This condition is relatively common and involves breathing difficulties caused by the fact that your muscles that support the soft tissues of your throat relax too much during the deep stage of your sleep. However, you might not even be aware of the fact that you have this condition unless someone told you that you gasp for air or snore during your sleep. Therefore, this condition could potentially worsen your asthma and therefore needs to be treated to avoid further deterioration of your asthma symptoms.
Obesity
Being overweight increases your risks of experiencing more asthma symptoms as well as increasing the chances that you will need an asthma reliever inhaler like Ventolin. Therefore, there is a chance that if you developed asthma as an adult, then your potential obesity affected the development of your asthma
In Conclusion, regardless of whether you suffer from an associated medical condition or not, you should also carry a reliever inhaler to quickly treat the symptoms of an asthma attack in the event of this occurring. Asthma attacks can be fatal if not immediately treated with the correct medication, so having an inhaler on hand is essential.
