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Although symptoms of common cold, flu, allergies and asthma may appear similar, fundamentally they are very different. All these conditions have different triggers, and their symptoms also vary from each other. Therefore, it is critical to identify the condition first before starting the most appropriate treatment. In this article, weu2019ll take a closer look at the common differences between asthma, allergies, cold, and flu.<br>
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HowToKnowTheDifferenceBetweenAsthma,Allergies,Cold&Flu • Althoughsymptomsofcommoncold,flu,allergiesandasthma mayappearsimilar, fundamentallythey areverydifferent.Alltheseconditionshavedifferent triggers,andtheirsymptoms alsovaryfromeach other.Therefore, itis criticaltoidentifytheconditionfirstbeforestartingthemostappropriatetreatment.In thisarticle,we’lltakeacloserlookat thecommondifferencesbetweenasthma,allergies,cold, andflu. • UnderstandingtheCause:Asthma,Cold,Flu,Allergy • Asthma • Asthmaisassociatedwiththeinflammationofbronchialtubes,whicharewhere tinyair sacs,alveoli,lie. Thesealveoliareresponsibleforremovingcarbondioxidefrombloodvessels andprovideoxygentothe body.Duringanasthmaattack, theair doesn’teasilypass throughtheairtubesdueto oneofthethree mainreasons: • Bronchospasm:aconditionwherethemusclesurroundingtheairwaystighten. • Inflammation:theliningoftheairwaysswells. • Mucusproduction:thecells liningtheairwayssecretemoremucus,whichis thickerthannormalmucus. • Allthesefactorsresultinasthmasymptomssuchasdifficulty inbreathingandperformingdaily activities, coughing,andwheezing.Asthmainhalersaremostly prescribed to easetheseconditionsandprovide immediaterelief. Controllerinhalerswhenusedregularlyasadvisedbyyourdoctorcanreducethe inflammation ofthe airways overtimetoreducethe symptomsand theriskofanasthmaattack. • Cold • Whenyouwakeupsneezingorcoughing, itcanbedifficult totellwhetherit isfluorcoldsincethe symptoms are often similar. A cold is a milder respiratory illness compared with the flu. It lasts for a week, startingwithasorethroat,andgraduallymanifestinginnasalsymptomslikerunny nosefollowedby congestion. • Severalvirusesareresponsibleforflu or coldandcanaffecttheairways,sinuses,throat,voicebox,and bronchialtubes.Therhinovirusisthemostcommonreasonforfluor cold,whichistransmittedthrough dropletssuspended intheairfromcoughingorsneezingbyasickperson.Coldisextremelycontagious and canoccuratanytimeoftheyear,althoughitismostprevalentduring thewinterseason. • Symptoms • Slight acheandpains • Stuffynose • Sneezing
Sorethroat • Hackingcough, withmildtomoderatechestdiscomfort • Only temporaryreliefofsymptomsthroughover-the-countermedicines. • HowAsthmaInteractswithAllergies,Flu,and Cold • Coldsandfluaresomeofthe mostcommontriggersofanasthma attack. • worsen with these viral diseases and can potentially lead to a life-threatening episode. That is because the airways become more inflamed when you suffer from a cold or the flu. As there is less air to pass through, and patientscomplainabout breathing problems, whicheventuallytriggersanasthma attack. • In the case of allergies, asthma is classified either as allergic asthma or non-allergic asthma. As the name suggests,thelatteroccurs withoutanyallergens, while the formeristriggeredbycertainsubstancessuch as dustandpollen.Patients withseasonalallergiesexperienceanincrease inasthma symptomsduring a certain period of the year. Therefore, whether you have allergic asthma or a non-allergic one, it is importanttokeepaninhalerhandyasprescribedbyyourdoctorsince itcancontrolinflammationinthe lungs. Asmentionedpreviously, youcanuse a controllerinhaler asprescribedbyyour doctortomanage asthmaand reduceyour symptomsover time. • TreatmentOptionsFor Asthma • Noone likesgetting sick,especiallyifyouareanasthmatic.Fortunately, coldandflucan bepreventedby following good handwashing habits and avoiding people who have the virus. Allergy, on the other hand, canbepreventedby avoiding triggers and bycontrollingyour environment. • Ifyouhaveasthma, thenitisalwaysadvisedtokeepasthmainhalersas prescribedbyyourdoctor and anactionplanhandy. Diligenceincarecanalsopreventyourworstnightmare.Askyourdoctortoprovide youwithanactionplan, whichmayindicate anincrease in thedosage orfrequencyofthe medicinesyou alreadytakewhenacoldworsensyourasthmaepisode.Yourdoctormayalsoprescribeapreventive andarelieverinhalertokeep thesymptoms incheck.
