Odor Induced Asthma
Table of Contents
Symptoms of Odor Induced Asthma
Most commonly, food-induced asthma is caused by ingestion, but in some cases, it can be done through inhalation. The most common symptoms include coughing, wheezing, or asthma attacks. Symptoms will vary between each person. It is crucial to record your symptoms for your physician so they know what happens during an attack.
Causes of Odor Induced Asthma
A food-induced asthma episode can be caused by exposure to food. In severe allergy cases, you may not even have to ingest the food, but just be exposed to the odor or particles in the air. This can occur mainly with nuts or fish. This can cause a serious reaction in people with allergies. Many people know to avoid ingesting certain foods, but many people may not realize that they need to eliminate any exposure to the allergen in general.
Treatments of Odor Induced Asthma
To begin treatment, it is important to know what exactly the triggers are. When the allergens have been diagnosed, then you can properly avoid the allergen. For example, if your asthma is caused by inhaling seafood, then you will want to avoid seafood restaurants or cooking seafood in your home. Your physician will recommend completing an allergy test in order to properly identify the allergens. Once this is complete, then the physician will recommend long-term medications as well as rescue medications to keep the allergies and asthma under control.
Once the trigger has been identified, your physician may recommend going through allergy shots if the symptoms are serious. These allergy shots will help in controlling symptoms and in return, controlling your asthma. A leukotriene inhibitor is another treatment option. This is a daily drug that will control the immune system and the chemical release that occurs. This works because it eliminates the allergic reaction, which will eliminate the asthma attack too.
Be sure to record your symptoms and when they occur. Your physician will aid in recommending treatment and an asthma action plan. The physician should also monitor progress. If your asthma and allergies are not getting better, then you may need to increase the dose of medication that you are taking. The best method of treatment is to avoid the allergen, however, sometimes that is not possible. Since this is impossible, it is important to take your long-term medication daily or as prescribed. When you are having an attack, you must follow the asthma action plan that your physician has helped you write out. If the rescue medication does not help the symptoms to get better, then it may be necessary to go to the emergency room. The emergency room will administer medications to get asthma and allergic reaction under control. Once everything is back to normal, then you may need to wait a few more hours to ensure you will not experience another attack. Once you are cleared, then the physician will give you specific instructions on what to do in case of another attack once you leave. If you experience another attack shortly after leaving, you may be administered to the hospital to watch for symptoms.