If you are unaware of the actual cause that has led to asthma, chances are your treatment is not effective. Merely taking medicines without identifying the underlying issue might prolong your suffering, warn pulmonologists.
Asthma allergens can be found in food, household articles, and the environment. Airborne triggers are dust particles and smoke, which can get into your system while cleaning your house. There are many food-based allergens such as monosodium glutamate found in noodles’ tastemakers, chocolates, and other food items too that can cause asthma.
These were some of the external allergens among 300 known triggers, which are called Extrinsic Asthma (EA). Asthma can also be triggered by some emotional reactions like laughing, exercising or crying, which is called Intrinsic Asthma (IA).
Dr. Vijay Kumar Chennamchetty of an interventional pulmonologist, Apollo Health City says Asthma caused by EA can be easily treated because the allergens can be identified but asthma caused by IA is far more difficult to cure because the allergens are usually hidden and often unknown.
Even if the trigger is an extrinsic one, a patient might suffer a lot if the allergen is not detected in time. In this case, routine treatment with Salbutomolol (generic name) would not prove to be of much help.
Dr. Vyakaranam Nageshwar, the national president of Allergy Asthma Network of India, emphasizes on the importance of going through an allergen screening test to determine the substances that one can be potentially allergic to. Respiratory allergens like dust and pollen to food items, there are numerous allergens that can cause asthma.
Dr. Muntajibuddin Arif Ahmed, associate professor of pediatrics and allergy, Shadan Medical College, headed a research that was conducted for 5 years on 25 city based asthma patients. The study revealed that delaying the detection of the trigger can further complicate the situation, making recovery difficult.
The results of the study revealed that in 20 out of 25 patients, the severity of the disease increased with a decrease in their response to treatment because they did nothing to control the ancillary factors such as stress, sedentary habits, and diet. However, the other 5 maintained a healthy lifestyle.
Dr. N Nalini, a pulmonologist at the Continental Hospitals, explained how episodes of stress and anxiety can heighten the risk of asthma attacks as people often forget to take their medications, which make them extremely vulnerable to such attacks.