Allergic asthma: triggers, control and warning signs

Typical triggers include house-dust mites, pollen, mould and animal allergens. Exposure can lead the airway muscles to tighten and the lining to swell and produce mucus. Symptoms may begin during exposure or later and can vary from one episode to another.

Asthma often presents with variable wheezing, shortness of breath, cough or chest tightness that worsens at night, during exercise or around a trigger. Allergic rhinitis may occur alongside it, with sneezing, nasal itching and clear discharge. A clinician may use symptom history, breathing tests and response to treatment; allergy assessment can identify relevant sensitisation when the result would change management.

A positive allergy test needs to match real-life symptoms. Sensitisation on a test does not prove that an exposure is responsible for every breathing episode.

Use preventer and reliever inhalers exactly as prescribed, and have a clinician or pharmacist check your inhaler technique. Follow a written asthma action plan that explains daily treatment, worsening symptoms and emergency steps. Record symptoms and reliever use to reveal trigger patterns and changes in control.

Reduce confirmed triggers with targeted measures. For mite allergy, wash bedding regularly and consider allergen-resistant covers; address visible damp and mould safely; keep smoke and vaping away from living areas; and monitor pollen conditions if outdoor exposure reliably brings symptoms. Continue prescribed medicine rather than relying on avoidance alone.

Use the reliever and follow the emergency instructions in your action plan when symptoms suddenly worsen. Call emergency services if breathing is very difficult, speech is limited by breathlessness, lips look blue or grey, the person becomes drowsy or confused, or the prescribed reliever is not helping. Do not drive yourself during a severe attack.

Discuss night waking, activity limits, reliever use, inhaler technique and suspected exposures. Ask whether nasal allergy also needs treatment, whether allergy testing would alter your plan, and which changes mean you should increase treatment or seek urgent care.