Mold in the home can be a trigger for those with allergies and asthma. Find out why those with mold allergies should avoid spaces with the hot-air heat, central air conditioning and wall-to-wall carpeting that can be carriers for mold.

Question:

Ever since we moved into our new house, our son has been constantly coughing. Now his doctor tells me he’s asthmatic. He was fine before. Could the house be a problem?

Answer:

You don’t mention whether you have a family history of allergies and asthma, and we’re not physicians, so continue to discuss this situation with your doctor.

That said, The Money Pit’s indoor air quality expert, Jeff May, doesn’t recommend that people with mold allergies or sensitivities live in houses with hot-air heat, central air conditioning, and wall-to-wall carpeting. If you do have this type of HVAC system, the least you should do is install a good quality electronic air cleaner to keep the air as clean as possible.

The presence of mold in your house could greatly impact your son’s allergies or asthma. If your son’s symptoms improve when he is out of the house for an extended period of time, such as a family vacation, we’d recommend that you have an air quality professional do some air and dust sampling for you, to see if mold is present.

Asthma is a condition of the respiratory system whereby the airways become swollen and narrow. This makes it hard for asthma sufferers to breathe, and can even become life threatening if proper treatment methods aren’t determined rapidly. The most common type of respiratory condition is allergy induced asthma, which is typically triggered by an allergen in the air or food. It is also common for people to experience exercise induced asthma, especially if they’re not use to strenuous physical exercise. If you think that you might be suffering from asthma, get the facts about treatment today.

What Is Allergy Induced Asthma?

Many people are familiar with allergies that make their nose run or their eyes water. Some people even have allergies to certain types of food or insect bites that might make them sick or swell up with hives. No matter what causes your allergic reaction, one of the worst conditions is allergy induced asthma because it can actually cause your airways to swell up, restricting the flow of air and making you panic. During an outbreak of allergy induced asthma, the body produced histamines that cause inflammation and irritation while they are working to get rid of the allergen. When allergy induced asthma occurs, it’s because the histamines were released into the bronchial tubes and lungs, interrupting the breathing process with inflammation.

Allergy and asthma are often related to one another. A common misconception about allergy is that it only manifests on the skin with rashes and itchiness. What many of us do not know, that beside the usual lip bulging, is that asthma can also be an allergic reaction.

There are many cases where an allergic reaction is manifested through asthma. The pathophysiological process on asthma caused by allergens is different from a real asthma attack. Once an individual has been exposed to an allergen, he or she may experience difficulty of breathing, rapid and struggling respiration. Hyperventilation is caused by narrowing of the airways, particularly on the wind pipe,or the relaxation of the diaphragm muscle that is essential for respiration.

For example, if a patient has some certain allergy to dust particles and become expose to it, the next thing to expect is an asthma attack. Now in this case, the allergen component is the cause and the asthma attack is the reaction. However, the real physiological anomaly is the asthma itself and not the allergy. The allergy would just be the mere trigger for asthma but on the other hand, the asthma can also be caused by a lot of other factors beside that certain allergen. This is commonly called as the allergen- induced asthma.

The myth that the limits of physical capacity on asthma is not true. Exercise is an important activity for our everyday life and people with allergies and asthma are often able to exercise. Research has also shown that regular moderate exercise as part of a program of professional guides asthma management helps prevent asthma attacks. Exercise should not however be done in times of sickness.

Here are some tips to help prevent asthma attacks and allergy during the year:

1. Pack your medicine in your gym bag: The type of medication depends on your condition, either allergy or asthma. People with allergies can take antihistamine tablets before activity, while those with asthma can use the inhaler before exercise. If you take the medication 15 minutes before exercise, you should be fine.

2. Consider your environment and climate: For those who are allergic to dust mites, consider exercise outdoors due to household mites, but those who are allergic to grasses or weeds should consider an indoor location during certain seasons.

Verify that the air is too cold or too dry. This can irritate the bronchial tubes. Warm, moist air generally allows people with asthma to exercise successfully. Make every effort to avoid exercising in areas with large quantities of chemicals. Industrial areas are a perfect example, or heavy traffic areas with high levels of exhaust. Keep the exercise of odor-free interior.