Martin Vanderwoude: For Andrea Kenney this is a ride of spring at this time of year Andrea Kenney is hit with double whammy; her seasonal allergies flare up. Symptoms include a runny nose, sneezing and itchy eyes, but she also has asthma and it can be extremely difficult to manage both conditions. Just like the game of Jingo where players have to strike the right balance with wooden blocks, for those with asthma and seasonal allergies, the spring kicks off a seasonal balancing acts for managing medications to steering clear of triggers.
Andrea Kenney: Seasonal allergens affect my asthma by making me feel sort of breath like I am breathing through a wet face cloth which is very tiring and that comprises my ability to work and it also limits my ability to enjoy the outdoors. I manage both my seasonal allergies and my asthma piece by piece. I avoid the outdoors at certain times of the day. I check in with my allergist before spring fall on season to make sure that I am striking the right balance of medication for both of my nose and my lungs.
Martin Vanderwoude: Spring is one of the most troublesome times of year for people with these two conditions. Trees and grass release pollen and the number of mold spores in the air rise dramatically. Physicians who specialize in the treatment of airway diseases say patients need to understand how to manage both asthma and seasonal allergies. Doctor Alan Kaplan chairs the Family Physicians Airways Group of Canada.
Alan Kaplan: Having both asthma and seasonal allergies is a real challenge for the patients. These two common conditions frequently co-exist and in fact you have to treat one well to get the other condition under control. In order to do this you often require a whole number of different medications and treatments. This makes the patient's life very complicated. It would be nice to be able to simplify the regime of medications for our patients. This would really allow our patients to keep their lives in balance.
Martin Vanderwoude: Scientist believe asthma and seasonal allergies that are actually different facets of the same disease. Inhaling allergens like pollen or mold triggers an allergic reaction in the nose area where airborne asthma irritants may cause inflammation in the airways.
Alan Kaplan: I advise our patients that have both asthma and seasonal allergies to get in and see their physician. Map out a strategy with their doctor to decide to how to investigate what they allergic to, to decide what treatments they should have both before the season and during a season so that they can get their conditions under control and keep their life in a good balance.
Martin Vanderwoude: Doctor Kaplan's association has teamed up with the Asthma Society and the Allergy Asthma Information Association to raise awareness of the link between asthma and seasonal allergies. The Keep Your Balance campaign provides information for patients affected by asthma and seasonal allergies to help them understand how to manage their symptoms and enjoy their daily activities.
For information you can visit www.Asthma.ca or www.aaia.ca or call your doctor Martin Vanderwoude reporting.
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