Sinus Issues - A Surprising Asthma Symptom

Asthma has been around for centuries, and is one of the illnesses that continue to rise in prevalence rather than diminish. It's a common problem, and most people understand that it impacts a person's ability to breathe properly. That's the most serious and clearest symptom of asthma but there are many, many more of them out there that you should be aware of. Not only can knowing the symptoms help you recognize that you may have asthma, but understanding some of them will also help you realize that in some cases various health issues you may be dealing with are actually caused by your asthma. Sinus problems are among the most common ones that fall into the latter category.

Suffering from asthma can cause a lot of different issues, and sinus problems are certainly among them. Basically, asthma causes the passageways that you use to breathe to become inflamed and narrow. This commonly occurs in the lungs but can have a direct or indirect impact on the mucus membranes and sinuses as well. The inflammation may occur there to some degree or the body may simply recognize the inflammation in the airways and act as though it affects the sinuses as well. This will cause the sinus problems to occur.

Sinus issues like nasal discharge, a sore throat, and sneezing are all triggered by irritants within the mucus membranes. Basically, the inflammation caused by your asthma will actually be read by your body to be an irritant or obstruction. When this occurs the body will begin to start up various types of defense mechanisms in order to eliminate the irritants and obstruction. A runny nose, coughing, sneezing, and a sore throat may all occur as a result. The problem is that unlike with actual irritants, the defense mechanisms simply won't eliminate the problem and they may very well continue indefinitely.

There are a few things you can do to help yourself manage these asthma symptoms. The main one is just to follow your doctor's orders for managing your asthma. Eliminating environmental triggers, using your medication properly, and monitoring your peak flow can all help you reduce the impact that your asthma has on your body and thereby reduce the amount of cold like sinus issues that are cause by your asthma. The list of asthma symptoms is long, and many people overlook sinus troubles as one of them. But if you're suffering from asthma you'll quickly come to realize that it is one of the more common and annoying symptoms your health condition may trigger.