Air Pollution on Your Asthma & Allergy Symptoms

Indoor and outdoor allergies: Air Pollution on your asthma & allergy symptoms

Are you 1 of the 23 million Americans who suffer from asthma or allergies?

If so, you may get some relief by taking steps to reduce indoor allergen levels and modifying your lifestyle to avoid the hazardous effects of air pollution. Each year more and more Americans suffer from allergies and asthma. Numerous studies have shown that air pollution and indoor allergens make asthma symptoms worse and can bring on an asthma attack. Understanding what makes asthma and allergies worse can help you keep it in check.

Asthma is caused by an inflammation and swelling of your airways. As your airways narrow, less air can get through to your lungs, which causes coughing, wheezing, chest tightness and trouble breathing.

Hereditary plays a factor in asthma: people with a family history of asthma and allergies have a higher chance of getting asthma than those without a family history. Exposure to environmental triggers, including pollutants, allergens, and viral infections, also play a role. “The rapid increase in asthma cases from the late 1970s cannot be attributed to genetics alone,” says Dr. Peter Gergen, medical officer at the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases. “Changes in the environment, home surroundings and exposure to infections have also contributed to the prevalence of asthma.”

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