Allergies occur when you have an oversensitive immune system. Most people have chronic allergies, but in some cases, an allergic reaction is an isolated event. When your body encounters an unknown substance, you begin to release histamine, a type of chemical that helps to fight off the allergen, explains the National Institutes of Health. In severe cases, symptoms of asthma and wheezing can block the airways.
Symptoms
When you encounter something you are allergic to, you immediately begin to feel your body's response to the substance. Itching, redness, hives, runny nose and coughing can indicate an allergic reaction. When allergies are severe, you may develop breathing problems that begin with an increase in mucous production, coughing and wheezing. Wheezing begins as a high-pitched whistle or rattle while you breathe in and out, notes the NIH. As your airway narrows and becomes constricted, you can hear the wheezing sound. Allergies may also trigger an asthma attack. An asthma attack can be an acute or chronic illness caused by an inflammatory disorder of your lungs' airways. Signs of asthma include shortness of breath, dry cough and chest tightness along with wheezing in your chest.
Causes
A wide variety of things can trigger an allergy attack -- especially one serious enough to develop into wheezing and asthma-related symptoms. When you breathe in an allergen, the result can be an itchy nose and upper respiratory irritation. Common causes are pet hair, inhalants, pollens, perfumes and moldy substances. You may be sensitive to things that you touch including jewelry, latex, cosmetics, spices and oils from plants -- the result may be contact dermatitis, a rash or hives. Eating a particular food may also trigger an allergy, explains The Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America. A life-threatening allergy to peanuts or shellfish can block off airwaves quickly, resulting in wheezing and, ultimately, asthma. Taking a particular medication, being stung by an insect or being injected with a drug such as penicillin can cause allergic reactions in some people and can lead to breathing difficulty if emergency care is not administered immediately.
Treatment
When allergies trigger asthma and wheezing, find short- and long-term treatment plans. Initially, identify the allergen. An allergist or immunologist can diagnose allergies. She will consider whether you have a family history of asthma or allergies, allergic asthma caused by allergies or occupational asthma caused by inhaling something while you work, according to the American Academy of Allergy Asthma and Immunology. Treatment will likely include an emergency corticosteroid, along with a long-acting beta-agonist. Keep a fast-acting rescue medication nearby at all times. Corticosteroid in pill form may be used, as directed by your doctor, to keep airways open and help control everyday symptoms.
Complications
If you experience tightness in your chest, or have trouble breathing, don't take the symptoms lightly. Asthma attacks can easily be life-threatening and can close your breathing airways completely, leading to respiratory arrest and death, explains MayoClinic.com. Avoid known allergens that may trigger your asthma attacks and have an emergency inhaler on hand at all times.
