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Protect Your Elderly Loved From Asthma Attacks With These TipsProtect Your Elderly Loved From Asthma Attacks With These Tips

  • By Allergic Diagnostic and Treatment Clinic
  • 24 Oct, 2018
If you plan to move an older loved one into your home, you may worry about keeping their health safe, especially if a doctor recently diagnosed your relative with adult onset asthma. Adult onset asthma (late onset asthma) generally occurs after 50 years of age.
Your home and property may contain triggers that aggravate your loved one's asthma, including pollen and dust mites. If your loved one inhales pollen or dust mites, they can experience shortness of breath, chest tightness, wheezing and coughing. The symptoms can become serious if you don't treat them immediately.

With the following information and tips, you can locate and secure the things that may cause problems for your relative's asthma. You also learn how to find treatment for your loved one if they do experience an attack.

Be Aware of the Plants and Trees on Your Property

Once your relative arrives at your home, they may want to explore your property. But some people experience problems with their asthma when they encounter plants that release pollen. Because of your loved one's recent diagnosis, they might not know if they have allergies to plants right now.

Some trees in Texas and nearby states can trigger asthma problems, including the mountain cedar tree. Although the tree grows near mountains, you might have one your property. You should also be aware of plants that bloom late in the year, including ragweed. Ragweed can make asthma and its symptoms worse for some individuals.

If possible, check your local weather guide for updates about pollen season. Although most plants release pollen in the spring and summer, some plants can become active in the fall. Try to remove plants and trim trees that could potentially aggravate your loved one's condition.

After you take care of the outside of your home, make a few changes indoors.

Use Tile Instead of Carpeting

Dust mites are tiny pests that consume the dead cells your skin sheds throughout the day. The dust in your home picks up the dead skin cells, which attracts and feeds dust mites. Dust mites can live anywhere that has dust, including your carpets.

Although you can vacuum your carpets to help control the dust mites in your home, it may not be enough. The fibers of your carpets may hold on to mites and their food source. If your vacuum isn't strong enough to remove all of these things, it can be difficult on your loved one's asthma.

If it's possible for you to do so, replace the carpets in your loved one's room and living space with tile or hardwood flooring. The flooring offers immediate relief from dust mites. Try to keep the flooring mopped and sanitized regularly to avoid problems in the future.

See an Allergist

If your loved one experiences asthma symptoms or an attack and you can't figure out why, contact an allergist for care. An allergist can perform different tests on your relative to see why they experienced problems at your home. The tests may pinpoint or diagnose the trigger right away.  

An allergy specialist can't cure or get rid of your loved one's asthma, but they can offer treatment for it, including allergy injections. The injections help strengthen your loved one's immune system, which allows it to fight the triggers more effectively.

Most people require regular injections to avoid problems. However, an allergist will generally consider your loved one's age and overall health before they establish a treatment plan. If you have questions about your loved one's treatment, be sure to discuss it with an allergist as soon as possible.

You can learn more about asthma and how it affects the elderly by contacting Dr. Joseph Pflanzer, MD at the Allergic Diagnostic & Treatment Clinic today.
By Allergic Diagnostic and Treatment Clinic 24 Oct, 2018
Nearly 25 million Americans have asthma, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). This lung condition can make breathing a challenge and cause coughing or wheezing. While scientists haven't found a definitive cause behind asthma, some environmental issues can prompt attacks. If you or a loved one has asthma, take a look at some of the most common asthma triggers.
By Allergic Diagnostic and Treatment Clinic 24 Oct, 2018
Many people live with food allergies. Food allergies result in the body treating normal, otherwise harmless ingredients as invaders they must fight. While most people think of seasonal allergies when they think about allergies, food allergies can result in serious, life-affecting conditions.

The results of food allergies can be devastating, even fatal. Anaphylaxis requires quick treatment and know-how from others in the workplace. For this reason, education about allergies is crucial.

If you have food allergies and are trying to navigate these types of problems in the workplace, then you may need some suggestions. This guide will help you create a plan of action for contending with food allergies at work.
By Allergic Diagnostic and Treatment Clinic 24 Oct, 2018
When you have a family member with severe allergies, you want to do everything that you can to help keep them as healthy and happy as possible. The problem is that when a person is just as allergic to things inside the home as outside the home, it can be difficult to know what to do to help them manage their allergies.

Get to know some of the important facts about managing indoor allergies. Then, you can be sure that you are doing everything you can for your loved one with indoor allergies.
By Allergic Diagnostic and Treatment Clinic 24 Oct, 2018
If you care for a senior loved one, you know that paying close attention to their health can feel like a full-time job. You may begin to notice all the subtle details that come with growing older, including changes to health.

Worsening allergies are one factor associated with aging. In turn, allergies can impact immune system functioning and other chronic health issues. Knowing this, it makes sense that you want to nip allergies in the bud - preventing them from having long-term effects.

If you are worried about allergies and how they affect your loved one, read this guide. You will learn more about how to address allergies before they become a significant problem.
By Allergic Diagnostic and Treatment Clinic 24 Oct, 2018

As many as 40 percent of children in the United States are allergic to something. While most allergies are mild, some can be severe and may prove to be life-threatening. Typically, children develop allergies within their first two years of life. What you do during those vital first few months plays a huge role in allergy development.

Exposing your children to certain substances may even help your child avoid allergic reactions later in life. Following are five ways you can keep your child from developing allergies.

By Allergic Diagnostic and Treatment Clinic 24 Oct, 2018
In the United States alone, about 50 million people have some type of nasal allergy. For a lot of years, the primary form of allergy treatment was through oral medications that counteracted the allergic reactions to certain triggers. However, immunotherapy in the form of allergy shots is now a highly efficient way to treat allergies in adults and children.
By Allergic Diagnostic and Treatment Clinic 24 Oct, 2018
Pollen allergies can be particularly difficult to deal with since plants--and the pollen they release--are almost everywhere. If you suffer from a pollen allergy, it's important to work with your allergist to find the medications that work best to keep your symptoms under control. However, you also want to do all that you can to reduce your exposure to pollen. Here are some steps to help you accomplish that goal.
By Allergic Diagnostic and Treatment Clinic 24 Oct, 2018
Seasonal and environmental allergies are common, but many individuals develop allergies to common foods and ingredients. While shocking to learn, an estimated 5.9 million children in America have a food allergy. If your child consumes foods they’re allergic to, they could experience digestive issues and skin rashes or anaphylaxis, which is a more dangerous reaction that causes airway constriction and your child's blood pressure to drop.
By Allergic Diagnostic and Treatment Clinic 24 Oct, 2018
Asthma can be caused by a wide variety of things. One thing that can cause asthma is exercise and participating in physical activities. Here are some signs to look for that indicate you have sports induced asthma.
By Allergic Diagnostic and Treatment Clinic 24 Oct, 2018
A common misconception about allergens is that they start from birth. Yet allergies can develop over time, well into adulthood. Food allergies  are especially susceptible to sudden development. Contact can be as severe as ingesting it or even being in a vicinity of the allergen. Symptoms of allergies can include rashes, welts, itching, burning, sudden swelling or constriction of the throat and air passages. In some cases, allergic reactions can cause hospitalization or even death.
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