Allergic asthma happens whenallergiesand asthma combine.

You may also experience more classic symptoms of anallergic reaction, such as sneezing and itchy eyes.

The diagnosis helped me understand a lot of issues I have had most of my life.

illustration of four people with allergic asthma

Four people talk about what it’s like to live with allergic asthma.

Im an opera singer, which makes breathing a pretty crucial aspect of my job.

For years, I always struggled to make it through phrases that should not have been an issue.

After receiving the diagnosis and beginning to take a maintenance inhaler, it has made a huge difference.

I also plan my allergy shots around my singing schedule since I usually cannot sing the day after.

The best part is that all of these changes have made a huge impact on my singing.

Lisa N., 33

2.

Im fortunate that my job is relatively sedentary because exercise is an additional trigger for me.

My personal life has been restructured with caution in mind.

There are several things I learned during my first years with asthma that I wish I had known sooner.

For example, watch YouTube videos or consult with your doctor to learn proper inhaler techniques.

It seems like it should be second nature, but its not and can be done wrong.

Also, use a spacer machine that attaches to your inhaler.

It regulates the airflow so more medication reaches your lungs.

The effectiveness of mytreatmentsincreased dramatically when I started using one.

Jacob S., 31

3.

The most important thing is to have a good allergy and asthma doctor.

I was 30 when diagnosed with asthma, and 33 by the timeallergieswere diagnosed as a trigger.

So the most important thing is to have a good allergy and asthma doctor.

I go to my allergist rather than my primary care doctor for anything respiratory.

I make a practice of turning off the air altogether in my car when Im around those dust plumes.

Weve also really suffered from wildfire smoke recently, and its getting a lot more common.

When its smoky, I have to either stay inside with the air purifier running or even leave town.

Daren S., 43

4.

Honestly, it kind of feels like a really bad head and chest cold that lasts months.

When it comes to outings, I for sure plan around my asthma.

During the hard allergy times, I am always checking the allergy levels on my phone.

I avoid outside time as much as possible if certain allergens are high on that specific day.

Tomorrow is a new day.

Lexi L., 27

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