All asthma attacks are caused by an allergy

We know that asthma is usually an allergic disease, that is allergy is somehow linked to the cause of asthma and in many children and some adults allergy to something that is breathed in can be found. If this allergen is avoided asthma is better and often easier to control.

However, because of this close link between asthma and allergy it is often thought that if somebody has an asthma attack it must be caused by an allergy or exposure to an allergen. This is not always the case. In fact, most asthma attacks in both children and adults are caused by the common‘cold’. The virus that causes a ‘cold’ is usually the trigger factor. Most asthma attacks are caused by a ‘cold’ and not an allergy.

This fact has many implications. It means that people with asthma are sensitive to ‘colds’ and must get good asthma therapy to prevent the ‘cold’ causing asthma attacks. This preventative approach is so important in asthma and must be stressed. Also remember a cold is caused by a virus, antibiotics do not work and should not be used. You don’t need an antibiotic to treat a cold or an attack of asthma.

We know that asthma is often triggered by many factors, including a ‘cold’, as discussed above. Some of the other factors are cigarette smoke, pollution, strong fumes, allergies and of course exercise. The lungs of someone with asthma are sensitive to these factors, some are the cause of the asthma and some are just non-specific factors that a sensitive airway will respond to.

It has recently been shown that exercise triggers off the inflammation that is seen in asthma and is then an important problem for most asthmatics. While some asthmatics have only exercise-induced asthma and never symptoms at other times, this is unusual. In fact most people with asthma will be sensitive to exercise. The answer to symptoms on exercise then is to treat asthma better in a preventative way. By using regular preventative treatment for asthma exercise will no longer be a problem.

Another important fact about exercise and asthma is that all asthmatics must be able to exercise without problems. Not being able to play sport or go to gym is a sign that asthma is not well controlled. It is essential to bring this fact to the attention of your doctor

We know that about three quarters of people with asthma also have allergy of the nose and sinuses. It is also true that if this part of the problem is out of control asthma will be too. Symptoms of a blocked nose or sinusitis mean that allergic rhinitis is possible. If you have asthma these upper airway symptoms make the chances for good asthma control less likely.

The good news, however, is that allergic rhinosinusitis can be well treated and just as easily controlled as asthma. Some asthma medicines even treat the nose. Don’t let your Medical Aid tell you that they will not pay for your nasal treatment if you have asthma. That is a short-sighed approach that costs everybody money down the line. It is certainly true that your chance of having an asthma attack is much higher if your nose is a problem.

That leads us to the following myth.

You are probably under enormous pressure from your Medical Aid to cut back on asthma treatment and to use a generic drug. It needs to be said that asthma is a costly disease, but the cost of asthma is from having asthma attacks. One day in hospital is very costly. Preventative asthma medicines, those that you use all the time to prevent asthma attacks are not and never will be costly. Cost is not an absolute number. Something is not expensive in rand terms, it is only expensive if it leads to failure to control the problem. Most asthma preventative medicines are cost-effective, they save money by preventing asthma attacks.

There are many good generic drugs available for asthma but some of the original medicines are not yet available as generics. These are not expensive if they save you from having an asthma attack.