Spring and summer marks the return of allergy season. Metro Creative Connection
Caribbean Life, June 4-10, 2021 49
The arrival of spring and
summer is typically welcomed
with open arms.
Warm air, green grass, colorful
fl owers, and, of course,
vacations are just a few of the
many reasons to celebrate
spring and summer.
Spring and summer also
marks the return of allergy
season. According to the
American College of Allergy,
Asthma, and Immunology, allergies
are the sixth leading
cause of chronic illness in the
United States. A 2017 survey
found that 27 percent of Canadians
age 12 and older reported
having allergies. For
many people, allergies are
a minor seasonal nuisance
that are overcome by taking
over-the-counter medications
or staying indoors on days
when allergen levels are especially
high. But the World
Allergy Organization notes
that a history of allergies is a
known risk factor for developing
asthma. In fact, Statistics
Canada reports that, among
people diagnosed with allergies,
63 percent also reported
having asthma.
What is asthma?
The National Heart, Lung
and Blood Institute defi nes
asthma as a chronic condition
that affects airways in the lungs. The airways
carry air in and out of the lungs, and
when people have asthma, these airways
can become infl amed and narrow, compromising
a person’s ability to breathe.
Who gets asthma?
Many asthma patients are diagnosed
during childhood. The ACAAI reports
that most children with asthma exhibit
symptoms prior to their fi fth birthdays.
Asthma symptoms also may appear in
adults older than 20, and such instances
may be attributed to adult-onset asthma.
Certain adults may be more likely to get
adult-onset asthma than others. For example,
WebMD reports that women who
are experiencing hormonal changes,
such as those who are pregnant or in
menopause, may be more likely to get
adult-onset asthma.
What are the symptoms of
asthma?
The ACCAI notes that it can be hard
to recognize symptoms of asthma in very
young children. That’s because the bronchial
tubes in infants, toddlers and preschool
aged youngsters are already small
and narrow. Head colds, chest colds and
other illnesses may further narrow these
airways. So symptoms of asthma could be
mistakenly associated with colds or other
illnesses. A nagging cough that lingers for
days or weeks or sudden, scary breathing
emergencies are two symptoms of pediatric
asthma. Parents also can be on the
lookout for these symptoms:
• Coughing, especially at night
• A wheezing or whistling sound when
breathing, especially when exhaling
• Trouble breathing or fast breathing
that causes the skin around the ribs or
neck to pull in tightly
• Frequent colds that settle in the chest
Like pediatric asthma, adult-onset
asthma can be easy to miss. That’s because
of natural changes in muscles and
a stiffening of chest walls, both of which
are associated with aging and therefore
often attributed to age. The symptoms of
adult-onset asthma are similar to those
of pediatric asthma, and adults who suspect
they might be experiencing asthma
symptoms despite no history of the condition
can ask doctors to conduct some
specifi c tests designed to detect asthma.
A lung function test and a methacholine
challenge test are two ways doctors can
detect adult-onset asthma.
Allergy season has arrived, and that
could make some people more vulnerable
to asthma. More information about
asthma is available at www.accai.org.
Health
Understanding asthma
as allergy season returns
Dr. Sandra Scott M.D. has been
appointed the new executive
director of the Brookdale Campuse
of Brooklyn Health.
One Brooklyn Health
OBH at
Brookdale
Hospital gets
new executive
director
Sandra Scott MD has
been appointed Executive
Director of the
Brookdale Campus of One
Brooklyn Health (OBH).
She succeeds Dominick
Stanzione FACHE who will
remain in his role as Chief
Operating Offi cer of One
Brooklyn until his departure
in July.
Dr. Scott was the Chair
of Emergency Medicine
at Brookdale from 2018 to
2020, when she was promoted
to Chair of Emergency
Medicine for OBH.
She previously she
served as Chair of Emergency
Medicine at Lincoln
Hospital.
She received her Medicine
Degree from the Baylor
College of Medicine and
her Postgraduate training
at Baylor and the Boston
Medical College.
A longtime Brooklyn
resident, Dr. Scott is active
in a number of community
based service organizations.
One Brooklyn Health
/www.accai.org
/www.accai.org
