Fall is beautiful in the Inland Northwest. But it can also be tough on your breathing, especially if you deal with fall allergies or asthma.
What’s the difference? Sometimes, it’s hard to tell. Both can cause coughing, wheezing or shortness of breath. But knowing which condition you have matters. While fall allergies often fade with the season, asthma requires year-round care and attention.
Here, the experts at Northwest Pulmonology in Post Falls explain why fall allergies flare in our region and how to tell if your symptoms could be a sign of asthma.
What causes fall allergies in North Idaho?
Fall allergies in North Idaho are mainly caused by pollen from weeds. Sagebrush, ragweed and wormwood are the most common culprits. Moisture from damp leaves can also release mold spores into the air, which can irritate the nose and lungs.
Can allergy cause asthma?
Yes, and this is where things get tricky. A study published in the Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology found that hay fever is a significant risk factor for adult-onset asthma. Additional research shows that about 40% of people with hay fever also have asthma, while 94% of people with allergic asthma also experience hay fever.
So, how can you tell if it’s asthma or allergies?
Asthma mainly affects your nose and eyes, while asthma affects your lungs and breathing. Here’s the difference in simple terms:
Allergies, also called hay fever or allergic rhinitis, occur when your body overreacts to something in the environment, such as sagebrush pollen. To defend itself, the body’s immune system releases histamines, causing allergy symptoms such as a runny nose, itchy eyes, sneezing, or a skin rash. These symptoms are seldom life-threatening, but they can cause you to feel downright miserable during certain times of the year.
Asthma is a long-term, serious condition that begins when your body encounters a specific trigger, such as ragweed pollen. The immune system responds by releasing too much of the antibody immunoglobulin E (IgE), causing inflammation and narrowing of your airways, making it hard to breathe. The symptoms of asthma—wheezing, shortness of breath, coughing, and chest tightness—can range from mild to severe. Allergic asthma often starts in early childhood and steadily reduces into adulthood.
Pollen is a contributing factor to allergic asthma. So are pet dander, dust mites, and even certain foods.
Treatments for fall allergies
The best way to survive fall allergy season in Coeur d’Alene is to limit your exposure to potential triggers. Monitor the region’s pollen counts and stay inside when counts are high. Wash your clothes after working or playing outside. And resist the temptation to open windows at night, because that cool air could worsen your symptoms.
In addition to avoiding allergies, these medications can help ease your symptoms:
- Over-the-counter saline sprays and drops can keep nasal passages moist and clear, combating the dryness associated with allergic rhinitis.
- Over-the-counter nasal steroids such as fluticasone furoate, triamcinolone acetonide, and budesonide can reduce inflammation in the nasal passages, easing sneezing and congestion.
- Antihistamines and decongestants like loratadine and cetirizine block the body’s production of excess histamine, relieving itching, runny nose, and watery eyes.
It’s also wise to control your indoor air environment. Air purifiers and vacuum cleaners with High Efficiency Particulate Air (HEPA) filters can reduce allergens inside your home or apartment.
Treatments for allergic asthma
Allergy medications like antihistamines and nasal sprays can help people with asthma combat allergies, too. However, asthma also requires long-term management that may include:
- Inhalers that deliver medications directly to the lungs, relaxing airway muscles and reducing inflammation to make breathing easier. Most people with allergic asthma will need two types of inhalers, a maintenance inhaler for daily use and an emergency inhaler for flares, also called asthma attacks.
- Medications such as leukotriene modifiers like montelukast (Singluair®), a daily pill, can help reduce the immune system’s response to specific allergens.
People with allergic asthma should also follow the same indoor and outdoor precautions during fall allergy season as people with seasonal allergies.
What other types of asthma are there?
While allergic asthma is the most common type, other types of asthma can affect your breathing, too.
Exercise-induced asthma occurs when your airways dry out during physical activity, such as walking or running.
Nighttime asthma brings symptoms that worsen at night, causing nighttime coughing or waking up short of breath.
Cough-variant asthma involves one specific symptom—a chronic, dry cough, often without wheezing.
Less common variants include aspirin-induced asthma, occupational asthma (associated with on-the-job allergens such as dust or fumes), and steroid-resistant asthma.
When should I see a pulmonologist for fall allergies or asthma?
Fall allergies can often be treated by a primary care physician or an allergy specialist. But if your breathing troubles keep coming back, don’t improve with medicine, or are hard to explain, it’s wise to see a pulmonologist.
Pulmonologists are doctors with additional training in pulmonary and critical care medicine. They’re dedicated to diagnosing and treating all types of asthma, along with other conditions that affect breathing, such as emphysema and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).
Is a pulmonologist available in North Idaho?
Yes. Northwest Pulmonology specializes in diagnosing and treating all types of asthma. Our team is led by Kevin Strait, DO, who is board-certified in both pulmonary disease and internal medicine.
Inside our office in Post Falls, you’ll receive care from compassionate providers. We’ll perform pulmonary function testing to determine whether you have asthma, and which type of asthma you may have. Then, Dr. Strait and his team will help you identify triggers, manage your asthma, and prescribe treatments that can open your airways and bring you relief.
Along with caring for asthma, Northwest Pulmonology offers expert care and management for COPD, lung cancer, pneumonia, pulmonary fibrosis, and sarcoidosis.
How to make an appointment at Northwest Pulmonology.
Don’t let fall allergies or allergic asthma derail your fall plans. Make an appointment with Northwest Pulmonology today. Just call us at 208-618-2570.