Anyone who’s ever had a cold has experienced issues with breathing. The same can be said about individuals who suffer from allergies. However, some the majority of breathing problems are long-term or chronic, including allergies, but also asthma and chronic sinusitis. They often manifest themselves through various symptoms such as coughing, wheezing, runny nose and nasal congestion, itchy and watery eyes or shallow and otherwise labored breathing. But what are the actual causes of breathing issues and how can they be treated?
The nasal cavity represents a pathway allergens and viruses use to enter the lungs, which is why your nose and the nasal sinuses often get affected by various lung disorders. Furthermore, nasal and sinus inflammations tend to prompt asthma attacks, but the biggest asthma trigger is allergies. They are extremely diverse and widespread and people can be allergic to cats, dogs, dust and dust mites, mold, pollen and so on.
The unfortunate problem is that a large percentage of those suffering from allergies also suffer from asthma and tend to make people’s lives miserable, especially when they’re both active at the same time. Some individuals suffer from pulmonary issues, such as chronic bronchitis, emphysema or even COPD or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and some of the most serious respiratory disorders can also be caused by HIV/AIDS-related pulmonary infections, pneumonia, tuberculosis and even lung cancer.
How are they diagnosed?
Every diagnosis starts with a physical exam and taking your and your family’s history. The reason this is done is due to some diseases being hereditary or simply transmitted by a friend or family member. Once the physical checkup is complete, your doctor might order additional pulmonary (lung) function tests which are designed to assess how functional your lungs are. This test is routinely performed on people suspected of suffering from asthma. Other tests that might be performed include various allergy tests, an X-ray or a CT scan of your heart and lungs or a sinus CT scan which is performed on those affected by chronic sinusitis.
Allergy tests
In case your doctor suspects that your breathing problems are a symptom of a larger allergic issue, they might order you to perform an allergy test. There are different types of test and different methods of testing, but the most common one is called “the prick technique”, where a doctor puts very small amounts of different allergens on your skin and puncturing the skin with a small needle. This allows the allergen to enter your body and if you’re allergic, cause a reaction in a form of itching or redness around the area where the allergen was placed.
The treatment of respiratory disorders
Allergies and asthma are best treated by avoiding the triggers. You can wear a dust mask, invest in a better air-filtration system, avoid going outside when the flowers and trees are in full bloom or simply refrain from keeping pets. Your doctor might prescribe antihistamines or steroids to help reduce the inflammation. Physical issues with the breathing passages such as a deviated septum can only be resolved surgically, so you might want to consider finding the best surgeons specialized in septoplasty. Just make sure to check with your family physician before you decide on a surgical intervention.
The most common issue with breathing problems is that people wait days and even weeks before they visit a doctor. By that time, the damage has already been done which only prolongs the recovery process. If you happen to experience symptoms related to respiratory issues, make sure to schedule an appointment as soon as you can, as even the smallest of inflammations can easily flare up spread into the lungs and even infect your heart and digestive organs.
