Allergy Treatments and Asthma

Allergies and asthma often go together. The same antibodies that cause allergic reactions such as a runny nose and itchy, watery eyes can also trigger inflammation of the airwaves. Fortunately, some allergy treatments also relieve asthma symptoms. In this article we will look at some of the best allergy treatments for asthma sufferers.

Orthodox Allergy Treatments and Asthma

Most allergy treatments are antihistamines, which are not very effective at treating asthma. While antihistamines block the release of the histamines that can trigger allergy symptoms, they have little effect on inflamed airways once the inflammation has already started.

Fortunately, medicines exist that can treat both allergy and asthma symptoms. Leukotriene receptor blockers such as montelukast sodium, used in medicines like Singulair, were originally approved by the FDA to treat asthma, but have been found to be effective for seasonal allergy symptoms too. In fact, when two pharmaceutical companies sought FDA approval to market a pill combining montelukast sodium and the antihistamine loratadine, which is used in over the counter allergy medicines such as Claritin, they were denied on the grounds that there were no health benefits to combining the two drugs that could not be achieved with montelukast sodium alone.

Leukotriene receptor blockers work by inhibiting the production of hormones known as leukotrienes, that are a leading cause of allergy and asthma symptoms. They have been fond to be very effective in clinical trials, but have caused controversy when they were linked to an increased suicide risk in a handful of patients. However, in all these cases, there were other factors that made the patients suicidal (such as the potent combination of homosexual inclinations and religious guilt), so it would be a mistake to reduce the story to "Singulair makes you kill yourself", as some news reports have done.

Another combined allergy and asthma treatment is immunotherapy, sometimes referred to as allergy shots. These work by reducing the body's immune system response to the allergens that can cause asthma symptoms. They take the form of a series of injections, usually administered by an allergist.

Natural Allergy Treatments and Asthma

Some people prefer to go the alternative route. Quercetin is a natural antihistamine found in the skin of apples and red onions that seems to be the exception to the rule that antihistamines don't treat asthma, as it also has anti-inflammatory properties. Quercetin can be obtained naturally by eating more of the foods that contain it, but in order to get the quantities needed for effective allergy and asthma treatment, it is probably best to get it in the form of a dietary supplement. Quercetin supplements are available from most drugstores, and are fairly inexpensive, generally costing around $5 for 50 capsules.