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NIH Asthma Guidelines Emphasize Importance of Allergy Testing
Allergy and asthma specialists from around the country gathered at the end of March to begin implementing The National Asthma Education and Prevention Program's (NAEPP) Guidelines for the Diagnosis and Management of Asthma.
Information in the guidelines reported that allergies have emerged as one of the most important factors in the development, persistence and potential severity of asthma and that allergy testing is necessary to educate patients about allergen avoidance and symptom control.
"The role of allergy testing in asthma management is important information for patients, particularly because many asthmatics are not aware that a simple blood test can be conducted to identify what is triggering an asthma attack," said Dr. Dean Mitchell, an allergist and author of Dr. Dean Mitchell's Allergy and Asthma Solution. "Allergy diagnostic testing using a specific IgE blood test is a safe and accurate method to identify triggers early on and effectively manage patients."
The guidelines, developed by a panel commissioned by the National Asthma Education and Prevention Program and coordinated by the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute (NHLBI) of the National Institutes of Health, reflect the latest scientific advances in asthma. The guidelines were first published in 1991 and revised in 1997 and 2002. These latest parameters highlight the importance of keeping asthma under control through four critical components of asthma care, including assessment and monitoring, patient education, control of environmental factors contributing to asthma severity and pharmacologic therapy.
According to the American Academy of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology, approximately 23 million Americans have asthma and more than 7 million are children. While the number of asthma-related deaths has declined in recent years, asthma remains the cause for nearly 2 million emergency room visits annually, resulting in a significant economic burden on the U.S. health care system.
"Knowledge gained from allergy testing allows asthma patients to make necessary adjustments to their environment or diet to decrease their risk for asthma attacks and subsequent hospitalizations," said Mitchell.
