Asthma and Allergy (Pollen.com)

Asthma and Allergy

The symptoms you may feel during an asthma attack are due to the inflammation of the lungs and airways. This inflammation causes the simple act of breathing to become painful.

Not only do the airways become tighter and narrower, the walls of those airways release extra mucus, adding additional barriers to breathing. The body responds to this excess mucus by coughing, in attempts to expel it rapidly.

Currently, there is no explanation of why asthma occurs or what triggers your lungs to be so sensitive.

Allergy Can Trigger Asthmatic Reactions

There are many irritants that can trigger an asthmatic reaction. These are the most common:

• Airborne Allergens (pollen, mold, animal dander, and dust)
• Allergic Rhinitis (hay fever)
• Viral infections of the respiratory system
• Tobacco smoke
• Pollution
• Strong odors (paint, house cleaners, etc)
• Exercise (Note: asthmatic people can and should exercise, with care, when they are feeling well. Ask your doctor about exercise and asthma).
• Drug sensitivity (for example, to aspirin)
• Stress and emotional anxiety
• Pollen season (Airborne pollens in the air during periods of high allergy levels can cause an asthmatic reaction)

The Allergy Index and Its Use for Asthma Sufferers

But how can allergens cause asthma? Is asthma an allergy? Like many other asthma triggers, airborne allergens affect the respiratory system. They can initiate an allergic reaction that can, in turn, trigger the asthma symptoms. In this regard, the same triggers for some allergies can be important to asthma sufferers (like weather forecasts, allergy forecasts, and allergy counts).

https://www.pollen.com/allergy/asthma

Variety of Pollens Throughout Allergy Seasons (Pollen.com)

Variety of Pollens throughout Allergy Seasons

For many allergy sufferers, pollen can be a vicious word reminiscent of many sneezy, unhealthy days and nights. How can fine powder released from flowering plants affect our senses so greatly?

To explain…pollen is a plant’s only form of reproduction and it’s produced in mass quantities. It’s carried in the air and can land in a person’s eyes, nose, lungs and on skin.

For people with allergies, pollen is an allergen that causes an allergic reaction. Their immune system treats the pollen as an invader and responds by mobilizing to attack by producing large amounts of antibody. This allergic reaction can cause the following symptoms: itchy watery eyes, runny nose, itchy throat, hives, fatigue, and irritability.

When is Pollen Season?

Pollens spread by the wind. Pollen from trees, grasses, and weeds are the main cause of allergies. Spring is not the only allergy season, many plants pollinate year round. Your location will determine the time and duration of your pollen season. Pollen counts will vary from day to day as well as hour to hour.

Different Pollens for Each Pollen Season

In springtime, pollen from the trees begins its release between January and April, depending on the climate and location. These trees include elm, pine, birch, ash, hickory, poplar, and cypress to name a few.

Summertime is when grass pollen reigns supreme: pollen from northern grass in colder climates, such as timothy, rye, and blue; and southern grass pollens in the warmer climates, such as Bermuda Grass.

In the fall, typically weed pollen takes control. These weeds include ragweed, nettle, mugwort, fat hen and sorrel.

https://www.pollen.com/allergy/pollen-season