Is it asthma or allergies?

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The split is where the action is. Allergies live in the nose and eyes: sneezing fits, itchy watery eyes, clear runny nose, itchy throat, and symptoms that track exposure (pollen seasons, cats, dust). Asthma lives lower, in the airways: wheezing (a whistling sound on exhale), chest tightness, shortness of breath, and a cough that is famously worse at night and with exercise. The overlap that complicates everything: they share a root cause (an over-reactive immune system), about half or more of people with asthma have allergic asthma, and an allergen exposure can trigger both the sneeze and the wheeze in the same person. Per MedlinePlus, asthma's signature symptoms are that wheeze, the chest tightness, breathlessness, and coughing, especially at night or early morning. The self-check that matters: if your "allergies" come with any wheezing, chest tightness, breathlessness, or a cough that wakes you at night or shows up every time you exercise or laugh hard, that is not just allergies; that pattern is asthma until evaluated, and it is very diagnosable with a breathing test (spirometry). Why it matters: untreated asthma airways remodel over time, and rescue inhalers exist and work, so the evaluation pays. The emergencies are different for each: anaphylaxis for allergies (throat swelling, hives everywhere, trouble breathing, dizziness, epinephrine and 911), and a severe asthma attack (cannot speak full sentences, inhaler not relieving, ribs pulling in) also 911. The first appointment is simple: describe which of the two patterns you have, when it started, and what triggers it, and expect spirometry and possibly allergy testing.

Is it asthma or allergies?

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