Asthma & Allergies

Asthma is a significant problem in Australia. We have a high number of people that suffer from asthma comparatively to other countries. Some asthmatics can have their asthma triggered by allergens like dust, pet hair, high levels of pollen or exposure to mould. It can be hard to manage asthma if your allergies are not managed well also. It is possible to reduce the affects of asthma by avoiding or reducing exposure to certain allergens that are triggers. It is important to work out which allergens are your triggers. Your GP will be able to identify possible triggers and perform allergy tests. There are two main allergy test types – Skin prick and blood tests. These identify antibodies specific to allergens. Sometimes an alternative testing method is used, called scratch testing. This is used when greater sensitivity is needed. Allergy tests should only be performed by a doctor or a nurse trained in the procedure and knows how to interpret the results.