The First Steps With Asthma and Allergy
Asthma and Allergy: the few things that matter most, and the mistakes that catch people out early.
The overlap between allergic disease and asthma control.
Key takeaways
- Common allergic triggers: pollen, house dust mite, animal dander, mould
- Treating allergic rhinitis: can improve asthma control
- Most useful single change: Treat nasal allergy as part of managing asthma.
- Commonest mistake: Stopping the preventer when symptoms settle.
- See a doctor if any of the signs under "When to speak to a doctor" below apply to you.
Why bother
Allergic triggers are among the commonest reasons asthma control deteriorates, and treating the nose often improves the chest.
Start here
Two things, and nothing else until both feel routine.
- Treat nasal allergy as part of managing asthma
- Keep taking the preventer inhaler through allergy season
Then add these
After that, these.
- Identify personal triggers rather than trying to avoid everything
- Have an asthma action plan and an annual review
The numbers, in one place
| Measure | Figure |
|---|---|
| Common allergic triggers | pollen, house dust mite, animal dander, mould |
| Treating allergic rhinitis | can improve asthma control |
| Marker of poor control | needing a reliever 3 or more times a week |
| NSAIDs and beta blockers | can trigger attacks in susceptible people |
Common early mistakes
- Stopping the preventer when symptoms settle
- NSAIDs if they have triggered your asthma before
- Assuming worsening symptoms are only hay fever
Where to go next
- A Working Checklist for Asthma and Allergy
- What People Get Wrong About Asthma and Allergy
- Asthma and Allergy — the reference entry
- Eczema and Allergy: What Published Guidance Supports
- What the Guidance Really Says About House Dust Mite
When to speak to a doctor
Call 999 if the reliever inhaler is not helping, if you are too breathless to speak in full sentences, if lips or fingers look blue, or if you are struggling to breathe. Contact a GP urgently for increasing reliever use, night waking or a falling peak flow. Always seek review after an attack.
Where this comes from
- NICE — Asthma: diagnosis, monitoring and management
- Asthma + Lung UK — triggers
How this page was put together
Every figure, recommendation and warning above is taken from the guidance named in Where this comes from. Nothing on this page is inferred, summarised or generalised beyond what those bodies publish: where they give a number, it is their number, and where they are silent, so are we. Pages are rebuilt whenever the underlying record changes. Sign-off by a named clinician, where it has happened, is shown at the top of the page along with the date.
Medical disclaimer
This article is general information, not medical advice. It cannot account for your own history, medication or circumstances. Always speak to a GP, pharmacist or another qualified health professional before making changes that affect your treatment, and never delay seeking medical advice because of something you have read here. In an emergency, call 999.
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