Allergies, Inside & Out

The following is an Editorial Resource from YourTotalHealth.

What percentage of people
with asthma have allergies?

The Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America estimates that 20 million Americans have asthma, a chronic inflammation of the airways that usually results in shortness of breath, chest tightness, coughing and wheezing. And more than half of them also have allergies, according to the National Institutes of Health.

The combination, called allergic asthma, can be dangerous, even deadly. The reason is inflammation: Typical allergy symptoms (sneezing, runny nose) stem primarily from inflammation of delicate tissues that line the airways. But in people with allergic asthma those airways are already incredibly sensitive. So during an allergy attack, they may experience not just coughing and sneezing but contraction of the muscles around the airways. That makes it difficult to breath.

Learn more: Allergic Asthma.