Asthma and Allergy Awareness: Emergency Room Near You
Asthma is a medical condition where a person’s airways become inflamed, produce extra mucus, swell and narrow all of which make it difficult for them to breathe. Allergic reactions on the other hand occur when the body reacts to certain substances that under normal circumstances are usually harmless. While the two are two different conditions, they share a number of similarities from the fact that they happen to share a number of symptoms which sometimes makes it different to tell if someone is having an allergic reaction or an asthma attack. Symptoms such as a stuffy nose and congestion are common symptoms that are particularly common during flu season and are usually nothing to be worried about. However, if one has asthma or allergies, then they have an increased chance of suffering complications if they are in such a situation. It is therefore important to be aware of the differences between allergies and asthma so that one doesn’t make the mistake of mistaking one for the other. It could be a mistake that could come with massive consequences and that is where this article comes in as it will look to help you with this to help you in your asthma and allergy awareness.
Having already mentioned above what asthma is all about, it is important to note that it is a chronic disease and as such if you are diagnosed with it, you may have to deal with it your entire life. You may suffer asthma attacks every now and then and should always prepare yourself for an asthma emergency which should lead you to visit an emergency room near you as soon as possible to be attended to. Some of the common asthma symptoms include coughing, wheezing, shortness of breath, tightening or pain in the chest; with any of these symptoms making it difficult to sleep at night. As far as treatment goes, if you have asthma you may be prescribed long-acting medicines as well as rescue treatments and inhalers, with the latter coming in handy when you are experiencing an attack that appears serious. There are a number of situations that may lead to the flaring up of asthma symptoms in certain people and allergies is one of them. Such people are to see a flare up of their symptoms due to airborne substances like pollen, spores, mold, and pet dander among others.
Allergies on the other hand are also quite common especially with a number of Americans having one form of allergy or another. Some of the common allergens include animals and insects such a cats, dogs among others, foods like nuts, shellfish, milk and others, factors related to the environment like grass, pollen, dust, ragweed among others as well as medicines and their ingredients. Allergies usually affect each person differently and symptoms also depend on the type of allergy as well. If you are suffering from a food allergy for example, you may experience symptoms such as abdominal pain or a stomachache, a mild rash to severe symptoms that may lead to one going into anaphylactic shock depending on the severity of the situation. For those that have seasonal allergies, which are usually environmental allergies, then some of the common symptoms to look out for include a runny nose, itchiness, and watery eyes among others. Allergic reactions can also have symptoms such as chronic nasal or chest congestion, difficulty breathing among others which is why they can sometimes be confused with asthma attacks. Common treatment involves the use of antihistamines although the best way to treat an allergy is to avoid the allergen triggering the reaction if you can.
Next up we are going to highlight when one should head to an emergency room near them as far as allergies and asthma are concerned. If you are experiencing difficulties breathing with your shortness of breath or wheezing worsening rapidly, then you should head over to an emergency room as soon as possible to be assessed and attended to. Other symptoms as far as asthma attacks are concerned that indicate that you should head over to an emergency room near you include if your situation is not improving even after taking your rescue medication or quick-relief inhaler or if you start to experience shortness of breath after doing minimal physical activity. All these are signs of an asthma emergency and should be treated very seriously if you are experiencing any of these signs. You should also head over to an emergency room if you notice a bluish color in your lips, face or nails, if you are having difficulties swallowing as well as swelling in your mouth, tongue or throat as well as dizziness and fainting. These symptoms could be a sign of a severe allergic reaction, an asthma attack or even allergic asthma attacks.
Hopefully, the above discussion will come in handy in helping you know when to seek emergency care for your asthma or allergy so that you can get the care you need.
