June 21st marked the first official day of summer and along with the great weather and vacations it’s also a time of angst for allergy sufferers. And though there are many, many symptoms of allergies to mull over and gripe about, there is one major -- and sometimes life threatening -- aspect of the allergy season that some do not consider and that’s asthma.

Although asthma is not always linked to allergies, one in four people with allergies suffer from asthma symptoms and many asthma attacks are found to be induced by allergens in the air. So, that makes this time of year especially hard on asthma sufferers.

If you’re like me and you suffer from asthma, you know what it’s like to feel as if you’re drowning on dry land. I have lived with asthma for over ten years and at one point had to use my rescue inhaler more than four times a day. My days were filled with anxiety and fear over the fact that I would spend the rest of my life gasping for air. An automatic reflex such as breathing is something most people take for granted, but it ruled my thoughts. It wasn’t until recently that I was able to learn how to keep my asthma under control by learning what triggers my attacks, how to avoid the triggers and how to strengthen my lungs to reduce future attacks.

Did you know the average asthmatics lung capacity is less then half that of a non-asthmatic? That’s a scary statistic. Letting asthma go unmanaged and untreated is a dangerous gamble that could result in emergency room visits. Everyone with asthma has different triggers and will require custom treatments prepared and discussed with their personal physician. But, everyone with Asthma can always benefit from a few simple steps at home to reduce their risk of an attack and build lung strength.

Allegro Medical can provide some solutions and products for you and your family to help reduce the risk of asthma-induced injury and hopefully decrease your anxiety as well.

Asthma allergic triggers include pollens, pet dander, dust mites, mold, trees, grasses and flowers. A few steps you can take to reduce your chance of an allergy-induced asthma attack are as follows:

1. Vacuum and dust frequently making sure to concentrate on the areas you inhabit most such as bedrooms and living rooms. Dust everything from electronics to ceiling fans and baseboards. It all eventually gets kicked into the air and into your lungs.

2. Whenever possible keep windows closed and use your air conditioner to cool and circulate air. Open windows invite your allergen foes right into your home.

3. Cover your mattress and pillows with our Allergen-Proof Pillow Cases and Zip and Block Anti-Allergen Mattress Encasing. Natural down filled pillows attract and store dust mites so invest in our Allergy Free Pillows.

4. Consider an air purifier such as Allegro’s XJ-3800 Intelligent Air Purifier and Surround Air Car Ionizer. An air purifier can help reduce the triggers you can’t see.

5. If you must exercise or work outside wear a respirator mask such as Allegro’s All-Purpose Respirator Mask whenever possible. Consider it an investment in your lungs’ future.

For asthma induced by non-allergen irritants such as tobacco smoke, wood smoke, room fresheners, chemicals, perfumes, air pollution and stress, take the following steps:

1. Avoid exercise and time outdoors completely on high pollution/allergy advisory days. You can check that at weather.com.

2. Discontinue all use of candle, spray or plug-in air fresheners. You can eliminate the need for these items by cleaning your home regularly and discarding of odorous trash promptly.

3. If you can't avoid social situations that involve cigarette smoke or strong perfumes make sure you use your asthma inhaler before coming into contact with them. This can help reduce the likelihood of breathing difficulty while exposed to these items. But avoid exposure to tobacco smoke as a general “duh” rule of thumb.

4. Build up lung strength with our Power Lung Exerciser. There are several levels of resistance with the Power Lung so you can find the one best for your needs.

5. Take time every day to reduce stress and tension. Relax and unwind with a little daily Yoga courtesy of Flow Yoga

Children with asthma can’t always vocalize when they are having difficulty breathing or know what their triggers are. It’s not always possible to keep your child indoors and you don’t want to reduce their activities when they need the exercise. Here are some things you can do to help you child manage their asthma:

1. Monitor lung function with Allegro’s Peak Flow Meter or Spirometer. Keeping a daily record of your peak flow is a great tool to help your doctor monitor your asthma.

2. Children often need help taking their asthma medication correctly so purchase the OptiHaler Drug Delivery Spacer from Allegro to keep handy and maximize the medications effectiveness.

3. Encourage regular exercise on clean air days to help build and maintain existing lung function. And never smoke around your child.

4. Make sure you child’s school is aware of their condition and allows them to carry a rescue inhaler with them at all times.

The bottom line is to stay in control of your environment. Work with your doctor to find out more about your triggers and how to better manage them. And remember Allegro is here every season of the year to help with your home healthcare needs. Shop by Condition to see all of our Allergy Relief Products and Asthma Relief Products.