If you're coughing and wheezing, it might be asthma, not allergies.
This spring's "pollen tsunami", brought on by global warming and a longer allergy season, has been putting allergy sufferers across the country through the wringer. Allergy symptoms have been worse than ever for many people, leading to a spike in doctor's visits. However, if you've already experienced seasonal allergies, but this year you find yourself wheezing and coming up short of breath, it may be a sign that you're suffering from asthma, not allergies.
According to immunologist Dr. Mary Beth Hogan of the University of Nevada School of Medicine, it's entirely possible for an adult to go their whole life without realizing they have asthma because the symptoms can go years without being triggered.
"The disease is so variable. You can be quiescent (not active, or causing symptoms) for a long period of time and then you get the right trigger and it starts up again… That's why this understanding of having an adult epidemic is so confusing," she told the Las Vegas Review-Journal.
According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), more than 25 million people in the U.S. have asthma, or about one in 12 people. The disease is the number one reason that children are admitted to the hospital in this country. However, many cases of asthma go undiagnosed because the symptoms resemble allergies or the common cold. Asthma, like allergies, gets worse in the spring due to the increased presence of triggers like pollen and mold in the air.
If you have asthma symptoms triggered by airborne molecules, a home air purifier is a good line of defense against your triggers. Contact US Air Purifiers for help finding the best air purifiers for asthma today.