Mastering Springtime Asthma: 8 Management Tips

Who doesn’t love the warm days and colorful blooms of Spring? For many people, the exciting season has some downsides as well. While the grass, trees, flowers, and weeds find new life in spring, there is a consequential abundance of pollen in the air. Pollen triggers the worst allergies in countless individuals bringing on persistent sneezing, coughs, and sniffles. For people with allergic asthma, the season may also flare up asthmatic symptoms. But does this mean that individuals with allergic asthma are unable to enjoy the spring? Certainly not!

Here is your guide to spring asthma and ways to manage it.

What Is Asthma? Can Spring Allergies Trigger Asthma?

As a chronic respiratory condition, asthma causes inflammation and constriction of the airways in the lungs, making breathing difficult. 

Just as allergies can be triggered during the springtime, asthma can stem from mold spores and pollen which cause constriction in airways, thereby triggering spring asthma. 

Spring Allergies and Asthma

For patients with asthma, allergies are an additional trigger to breathing troubles. The allergies restrict the breathing airways, thereby triggering asthma. 

The triggers for hay fever (allergic rhinitis) during spring may also set off asthma. Recent studies have found that nearly 98.9% of allergic patients with asthma also have rhinitis. This is why they are more prone to bouts of asthma during spring.

What Are the Symptoms of Spring Asthma?

Mostly, spring asthma allergy symptoms are identical to the other kinds of triggers of asthma, which include:

• Difficulty breathing
• Heaviness of the chest
• Wheezing and coughing
• Difficulty sleeping due to the symptoms

Besides the symptoms listed above, patients may exhibit common allergy symptoms such as sneezing, a runny and itchy nose, and/or red, watery eyes.

What Are the Common Triggers of Allergic Asthma?

Knowing the triggers of asthma is crucial to understand asthma management. While the triggers might vary from person to person, the items listed below are some of the most common triggers of allergic asthma:

• Airborne mold spores
• Pollen 
• Dust mites 
• Animal allergens such as fur, hair, or dander
• Insect allergens such as feces or urine

8 Ways to Manage Your Springtime Asthma

There are several ways to manage asthma. If you suffer from spring asthma, here are some steps that will help you control the attacks and enjoy spring comfortably:

1. Check the air quality before stepping outside to determine the level of pollution, pollen, spores, and other triggers that might flare up your asthma.
2. Take a hot shower and wash your head before bed to get rid of pollen that might have stuck to your body and hair.
3. Wash clothes, blankets, and sheets with hot water. Make sure to also vacuum the house and furniture regularly to free them of asthma triggers such as spores, mites, and pollen.
4. If you have identified pollen as a principal trigger, keep your home and car windows closed as tightly as possible, particularly if there are blooming trees nearby.
5. Since spring allergens stick to your clothes and shoes, practice taking off your shoes before entering your home during this season. This ensures that you do not inadvertently bring your triggers into the home.
6. Never miss doses of your prescribed asthma medication, even if you feel alright. Visit your doctor/healthcare professional two weeks before the onset of spring and decide on the best medication for the season. Remember to check whether you require allergy shots.
7. Avoid smoking, even passively through secondhand means. Smoking could worsen both your allergies and asthma.
8. Always keep your inhaler on hand. Make sure that you fully understand how to use it, and keep checking the medicine levels. Your inhaler could save you from extreme breathing distress during the allergy season.

Know When to Seek Medical Attention

If you have difficulty breathing, even after taking two/three puffs of inhaler medicine every 10/15 minutes, you need immediate medical attention. Do not wait to reach out to your healthcare professional.

Seek Expert Asthma Treatment at Metro Urgent Care

If you want to consult with an expert about spring asthma or are looking for the best asthma treatment options, you need not look any further than Metro Urgent Care. Our team of experienced healthcare professionals will suggest the best ways to manage your asthma during spring. For specific questions or more details on asthma treatment, feel free to contact us today.