How Food Allergies Can Trigger An Asthma Attack - By: Al Jeffries

When you think of the causes of Asthma, you don't automatically link it to food allergies. But, at least in some cases, food allergies are exactly what you should be thinking about.

Millions of people the world over have to deal with the suffering that comes from having asthma. In the United States alone, approximately eighteen million people are currently suffering from the disease. Symptoms vary from person to person. Some will experience only mild reactions while others will have life threatening scenarios. Unfortunately, according to major health organizations, the projected number of cases in the country will just about double in the next ten years or so.

Asthma is an allergic reaction that can have, potentially, life threatening implications. Usually, the cause is some sort of trigger which stimulates glands that release histamine into the bloodstream. When histamine is released, a chain reaction of events is set into motion. The first thing that happens is the airways become irritated and also very sensitive. As the irritation continues as more histamines flood into the tissues, the internal body tissues begin to expand.

Another effect of the histamine is to cause mucous to be released. This greatly aggravates the problem by further constricting the air way passages. If the asthmatic attack happens to be a mild one, the symptoms may stop here. However, if the attack is more serious, and as mucous covers the airways, you may begin to wheeze and cough. Another symptom is shortness of breath.

The more sensitive your airways become, the more prone they are to spasms and the more difficult it becomes to both expel air and breathe in air. Someone in the middle of such an attack can very much feel as though they are drowning.

So what is the main trigger that starts this dangerous chain of events? There are many things that have been identified as possible causes - cold air, strenuous exercising, and even laughing. But the two top suspects are airborne allergies or food allergies.

Airborne allergies are not a surprise as health professionals have known for years that dust mites, mold, animal dander, and the like can trigger an attack. But the fact that food allergies can do so as well, is not recognized as readily. Of the food allergies wheat, milk, and egg allergies are the most to blame. But these are, by no means, the only recognized food allergies.

People who are allergic to any of these foods will have the same experience of histamines being released into their bloodstream with the possible effect of triggering an asthma attack. If you believe that you may be the victim of some unknown food attacks, the best way to rule foods in or out as the cause is to have a food allergy test performed on your body.

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