Allergies affect the respiratory system and cause breathing problems. There are two common types of respiratory allergies: allergic asthma and allergic rhinitis, or hay fever.

Allergy symptoms happen when your immune system reacts to an allergen, such as pollen or pet dander, that it mistakes for a threat. The stuffy nose, congestion, and itchy, watery eyes of rhinitis, and the constricted airways in allergic asthma, generally respond well to treatment.

This article details the symptoms and causes of breathing allergies. It also explains how these respiratory allergies are diagnosed and treated.

Respiratory Allergy Symptoms

Respiratory system breathing allergies cause airways and nasal passages irritation.

• Itching of the nose, mouth, throat, and eyes

• Sneezing

• Constriction

• Ragged eyes

• Dark circles

Symptoms of allergic asthma are

• Difficulty breathing

• Coughing at night

• Wheezing

• Chest constricting

Untreated allergic asthma is deadly. Call your healthcare provider if you have difficulty breathing, begin to wheeze, or experience a tightness in your chest.

Common Causes

Scientists don’t know why people develop respiratory allergies. They do believe that genetics and environmental factors contribute to their development.

With a respiratory allergy, an allergen causes your symptoms. Some allergens are seasonal, like hay fever, while others are present year-round.

• Pollen

• Pet dander

• Dust

• Mold and mildew

• Latex

Environmental allergens most commonly cause allergic rhinitis. These include things like tree pollen, grass, ragweed pollen, mold, dust, and pet dander.

Diagnosis

If you have allergies, your doctor will perform a physical exam and take your medical history. They will also probably perform allergy tests to determine what you are allergic to. In somecases, you may be referred to an allergy specialist.

Allergy Tests

There are two basic types of allergy tests:

Skin test: This is the most reliable of allergy tests. It involves scraping a small section of skin with an allergen, and then watching to see if you react. Alternatively, the allergen may be injected with a small needle or dropped onto the skin.

Blood test: Blood tests, including ELISA or FEIA, measure the allergy-specific antibodies in the blood. But it is a bit preferred through ImmunoCAP test.

Asthma Tests

You can also use allergy tests to recognize your allergens if you suffer from allergic asthma. This way, you can avoid them and prevent future allergy attacks.

• Spirometry: It is a measure of the amount of air going in and out of your lungs.

• Peak airflow: This test calculates how fast you expel air during a forceful exhalation after a deep inspiratory inhalation
• A fractional exhaled nitric oxide test refers to a determination of the levels of exhaled nitric oxide and uses that figure for estimating inflammation present in airway spaces.

• The provocation test determines the lungs’ functional alterations due to activation of various types of provocative triggers.

Respiratory allergies are usually lifelong. Some children diagnosed with them grow out of them as they get older, but adults can sometimes develop breathing allergies for the first time.

Asthma Tests for Children

Children under age 5 aren’t usually given breathing tests. Instead, a healthcare provider will assess their symptoms, and if indicated, offer a bronchodilator (commonly called an inhaler). If the inhaler relieves their symptoms, they likely have asthma

Complementary Therapies

Complementary therapies are treatments you might use alongside standard medical treatment for your allergies. These might include:

• Acupuncture: Acupuncture is a traditional Chinese practice that involves inserting needles into a person’s skin in certain areas of the body. There’s evidence of benefit for treating hay fever symptoms but more research is needed.

• Herbs and homeopathic medications: Homeopathy is founded on the principle that “like cures like,” whereby an ailment can be treated with an agent that causes the same symptoms in a sound individual. Homeopathic preparations are derived from plants, minerals, and animals. In one research study in 2015, patients experienced relief of allergic rhinitis when homeopathy was used as an adjunctive treatment.

• Nasal irrigation. It is an irrigating your nasal passages with a saline solution, a saltwater mixture. This technique is both cheap and easily tolerated and has the potential to assist in helping regulate allergy symptoms.

• Before turning to any type of complementary treatment, have a talk with your doctor. The more they understand, the better able they can evaluate whether it would be helpful to you.

Summary

Breathing allergies affect your respiratory system because your immune system reacts to an allergen, like pollen, by producing antibodies to fight it. Common symptoms of allergic rhinitis include sneezing, congestion, and watery eyes. Wheezing is common in allergic asthma, when the airways constrict.

An allergy test can help you identify and avoid the allergens that cause your allergic reactions. This will help you to prevent allergy symptoms.

Although there is no cure for respiratory allergies, treatment is available to help control symptoms. Some of the common treatments include immunotherapy, antihistamines, nasal sprays, and many more. Some complementary therapies can also be used to help control symptoms.