Detect triggers: A must in asthma management

The Philippines marked the second week of August as the annual observance of Asthma Week.

The annual observance aims to heighten public awareness on this chronic lung disease that affects 12 percent of the entire Philippine population, based on a study on asthma prevalence published recently.

According to the National Asthma Movement (NAM), the annual observance focused on the importance of early detection in effective asthma control and management.

Dr. Glenda Pereira, president of NAM, describes asthma as an incurable disease that can be controlled and managed.

Asthma causes swelling and inflammation of the airways. When asthma attacks, the airways tighten and become narrow, hindering the passage of air and making one suffer from breathing difficulties. 

Asthma affects people differently. Some experience asthma during allergy season, or when they breathe in cold air or when they exercise.

Others may have bad attacks that often lead them to hospitalization. Most common asthma triggers are smoke from cigarette, factory and vehicle emissions, exercise, dry and cold air, medications like aspirin, and even hormonal changes in most women.

Other asthma patients experience asthma due to allergens such as house dust, dust mites, cockroaches, animal dander, indoor mold, and pollen.

“Individuals who are at high risk for asthma like those with genetic predisposition must be aware of the source of their allergens or what triggers their attack and avoid it,” explains Pereira.

An asthma trigger is a factor that reduces lung function and leads to sudden breathing difficulty and other symptoms of asthma attack.

It does not cause inflammation for it is immediate and short-lived. However, if inflammation is already present, the airway will react rapidly to the triggers.

With the availability of ImmunoCAP IgE (Immunoglobulin E) blood testing, diagnosis of allergic triggers that cause asthma attacks will be easier and will lead to proper management of several allergic conditions including asthma.

The test provides a clinical relevant means of confirming or excluding the presence of allergy in patients with upper respiratory diseases. It identifies, with accuracy, specific allergen sensitivities of patients with confirmed allergies.

ImmunoCAP, the first allergy diagnostic system approved by the US Food and Drug Administration is a reliable quantitative test for identifying allergens.

A recent study published in the Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology proved that ImmunoCAP is the standard for accuracy and reliability for quantitative IgE testing.

This state-of-the-art diagnostic system was developed by Phadia AB in Sweden, the world leader in in-vitro IgE diagnostic research and product development.

ImmunoCAP is available in modern Philippine hospitals and laboratories. In Metro Manila, this technology is available in Medical City, Makati Medical Center, Manila Doctors Hospital, National Kidney Institute, Philippine General Hospital, Fe del Mundo Medical Center, Victor R. Potenciano Medical Center and Clinica Manila.

Outside Metro Manila, the sites for the allergy test are Our Lady of Mt. Carmel Medical Center (Pampanga), St. Patrick’s Hospital Medical Center (Batangas), Laguna Health Services Coop Lab (Laguna), Wellcare Clinics and Lab. Inc., (Cavite and Laguna), and Our Lady of Mercy Diagnostic Center (Davao City).

For more information and other inquiries on allergy testing and ImmunoCAP, call the Trianon hotline at 815-3239 or visit www.phadia.com.