Immunology and Asthma in Connection to Airborne Viruses

Fresno’s climate and surrounding agricultural and forested lands often impact the air quality. These factors already make life a little more difficult if you have asthma. When you take an already compromised respiratory system and add an airborne virus like a cold, COVID, or flu, it can seem overwhelming. 

Immunotherapy and modern asthma treatments help you stay in control of your health. Our team shares insights to help you understand what leads to asthma attacks and how airborne viruses impact that. We also offer some of today’s best asthma treatments and immunotherapy options.

The Immune System’s Role in Your Health

Your immune system has one main job. It must protect you from invading germs. These “invaders” might be an allergen, bacterium, fungi, or virus. You can’t see these microscopic particles when you breathe or put something in your mouth, but they’re there and can cause you harm.

When something enters your body that is an irritant or germ, your immune system takes action. Different parts of your immune system team up to fight the invader.

• Antibodies – Found in your white blood cells. They study and produce antibodies to protect you from future infections.
• Lymphocytes – Found in your white blood cells. B-cells produce antibodies that destroy invaders, while T-cells attack the infected cells and organize the defense.
• Memory Cells – B-cells and T-cells sometimes turn into memory cells that remember how they fought off an invader in the past. This helps speed up future responses if the same invader appears.
• Phagocytes – Found in your white blood cells. They digest invaders.

What Happens When an Airborne Virus Enters Your Body

Those are the key players in your body’s immune response. Here’s what happens when you breathe in or ingest a virus. 

• The virus is detected by immune cells.
• The cells release chemical signals to call for help from other white blood cells.
• White blood cells rush to the infection site.
• Phagocytes begin to ingest as many virus cells as they can.
• T-cells identify the infected cells and destroy them.
• B-cells start to produce antibodies to that virus.
• Memory cells remain behind and are ready to battle the virus if it appears again in the future.

Sometimes, your immune system overreacts. Inflammation occurs, triggering symptoms like aches, congestion, and fever. It’s often normal, but there are times when the overreaction is too much and causes issues.

Understanding Asthma and Why Airborne Viruses Make Things Worse

That’s what your body does when there’s an airborne virus. How does that affect asthma if you’ve been diagnosed with that respiratory condition?

When you have asthma, your airways become inflamed when a triggering event happens. That event might be exposure to an allergen, an irritant like chemicals or smoke, or a viral infection. The inflammation causes your airway to narrow as the tissue swells.

Three things happen with this chronic respiratory condition:

• Airway inflammation causes the lining of the airways to swell as it becomes irritated.
• Muscles around your airways tighten, making it hard to breathe in enough air.
• Mucus production increases, which also impacts airflow.

Those three occurrences trigger the key symptoms found in asthma:

• Chest tightness
• Coughing
• Shortness of breath
• Wheezing

When you have asthma and a virus like the common cold, coronavirus, flu, or RSV enters your system, it adds new layers to the health condition. 

• Doubled Damage to the Airway Lining – Viruses lead to damaged cells, and the cells in your airways are already impacted by asthma. They get hit by both the virus and the inflammation from asthma.
• Excessive Immune Response – Your immune system is attacking the virus, but it’s also fighting to help you with asthma’s triggers. You end up with a heightened immune response with more airway swelling and constriction.
• Extra Mucus Production – You already deal with extra mucus production with asthma. Add the increased production as your body fights whatever virus infected you, and mucus production increases, which further narrows your airways.
• Increased Severity of Symptoms – Because your airways are affected by both the chronic respiratory condition and the virus, it can lead to more severe symptoms. They can also last longer because they’re more severe.

Tips for Protecting Your Respiratory Health

If you have asthma, prevention of severe symptoms and even exposure to symptoms is important. Protect your health by:

• Avoid common triggers like pet dander, pollen, and smoke.
• Develop an Asthma Action Plan with your respiratory doctor.
• Don’t touch your face when you haven’t been able to first wash your hands.
• Eat a healthy diet and drink enough water.
• Ensure your vaccinations, like pneumococcal and RSV, are current.
• Get the recommended seven or eight hours of sleep each night.
• Get yearly vaccinations or boosters (COVID and flu).
• Keep stress to a minimum and find effective outlets for relieving stress when it heightens.
• Keep your rescue inhaler with you and use it as prescribed.
• Pay attention to outdoor air quality.
• Practice social distancing when you have to attend business conferences, large gatherings, or school events.
• Run an air purifier in your main rooms at home or the office.
• Talk to a doctor about the benefits of immunotherapy.
• Take prescribed asthma medications as recommended.
• Wash your hands frequently or use an unscented hand sanitizer if you can’t get to a sink.
• Wear a mask when shopping or out in public.

Learn More About Immunotherapy

You should always have an inhaler available for emergencies, but it’s also important to work with a doctor who specializes in asthma and respiratory health.

Allergic asthma is a type of asthma triggered by an allergen like dust mites, pet dander, or pollen. It’s a form of asthma that responds well to immunotherapy.

Immunotherapy is a treatment where your body’s immune system slowly learns a proper response to a trigger. It’s done by introducing small amounts of the allergen slowly over weeks and months until the immune system learns not to overreact. There are three main types of immunology.

• Subcutaneous – Allergy shots given under the skin each week for several years.
• Intralymphatic – Allergy shots given in a series of three injections into a lymph node once a month for three months.
• Sublingual (SLIT) – Drops or dissolvable tablets placed under the tongue every day for several years.

You don’t have to suffer in silence when asthma is impacted by airborne viruses. Talk to an expert in asthma treatments. Many newer options are available today that provide lasting relief and better control of your respiratory condition.

Schedule an appointment at Premium Allergy and Respiratory Center today. We’re here to help you breathe easier.