You know the signs: a tickle in the back of the throat; a few sneezes here and there. All too often they’re the beginning of a full-blown head cold.
And if you have asthma, the next stop could be your lungs.
Why does a sneeze turn into a wheeze?
Your nose, mouth, throat, sinuses and lungs are all one airway. Think of it as a long hallway with rooms off the sides. The front door is your nose and mouth: That’s where the germs get in. They reproduce like mad and swarm around in the passageway, squeeze through doorways into the sinuses and ear canals, then tiptoe down the hallway into the lungs.
A healthy immune system comes in like a housecleaning service, trapping germs with mucus and activating tiny hairs called cilia to move them out of the airways.
Children and elderly people with undeveloped or inefficient immune systems are less able to fight the spread of germs. And people with asthma have sensitive airways already compromised by underlying inflammation, primed and ready to react to irritants.
[See: 10 Concerns Parents Have About Their Kids’ Health.]
Prevention Tips
The first thing, of course, is to do what you can to prevent the germs from getting through the front door. Wash your hands regularly, especially before eating; keep your distance from people with active colds; teach children not to share drinks and toys with others. Use a nasal wash to flush out germs before they take hold.
In addition, get your flu shot early in the season each year. If you have asthma and are over the age of 18, you should also get a pneumonia vaccination.
If you have asthma, work with a doctor to draw up a written Asthma Action Plan. Every person’s asthma is different, so this will be a personalized set of instructions that tells you exactly what to do when sneezes begin. Be sure to keep your medications up to date and equipment like nebulizers at the ready.
See: 8 Surprising Facts About Asthma and Seasonal Allergies.]
Treatment Options
I like to start my patients on preventive medications at the first sign of a cold, to try to ward off lung congestion. My recommendations will be different for each person, but might include:
— Nasal corticosteroid sprays. Now available over the counter, these are the most effective medications for stopping a runny nose and fighting a cold.
— Antihistamines. Antihistamine nasal sprays (prescription only), liquids and pills help dry up a runny nose caused by colds as well as allergies.
— Albuterol. Keep your fast-acting asthma bronchodilator close at hand at all times to treat any wheezing or difficulty breathing, and follow the dosing schedule on your Asthma Action Plan to prevent symptoms.
— Inhaled corticosteroids. Many Asthma Action Plans recommend increasing the dose of these anti-inflammatory medications to prevent the cold from triggering asthma symptoms. Patients at high risk of exacerbations or lung infections may require oral corticosteroids.
Coughing: A Cold or Asthma?
The most common causes of cough are post-nasal drip, asthma and reflux, so when you’ve got a cold, it can be tough to decide what’s causing your cough and how to treat it. That’s where your Asthma Action Plan comes in. I teach my asthma patients to use a peak flow meter to test their breathing, and the treatment plan is based largely on those results. Also, a cough that is persistent or wakes you up at night is likely to be asthma and should be treated with a bronchodilator (albuterol). Some people like to use a nebulizer when they’ve got a cold, as it has better lung deposition than an inhaler and can be soothing to the throat and lungs.
As for postnasal drip, skip the “cough and cold” medications and go straight to a nasal corticosteroid spray. This will work quickly and efficiently. Antihistamine sprays are also effective, but slower. Cough medicines have not been shown to be very useful, as they simply mask symptoms.
[See: How to Survive Ragweed Allergy Season.]
Who Should See a Doctor?
— Infants who are constantly coughing, especially at night.
— Anyone who is coughing up mucus.
— Children and adults with fever over 100.4 degrees Fahrenheit.
— People whose Asthma Action Plan recommends it.
— Anyone whose cold symptoms last longer than 10 days.
More from U.S. News
7 Lifestyle Tips to Manage Your Asthma
8 Surprising Facts About Asthma and Seasonal Allergies
How to Survive Ragweed Allergy Season
Colds and Asthma: How to Keep Sneezes from Becoming Wheezes originally appeared on usnews.com
