Managing Asthma
The early asthmatic responses and the responses from the cells can get evoked when a person inhales allergens. The initial asthmatic reactions get characterized by acute airway obstruction after few minutes of inhalation that interferes with normal respiration. The body initiates an immune response to the allergens that get to the body, such as dust mites, mold, or pollen that results in IgE antibodies, in a process called allergic sensitization (Casset et al., 2006). In response, the immune system produces the IgE antibodies that travel to the cells releasing the chemicals, causing the allergic reactions, and prevent the body from the allergy.
In the case, even though the family has no history of asthma, their participation in the corn maze challenge had exposed the 12-year old to the pollen allergens. The involvement in the challenge facilitated the inhalation of the pollens (allergens) that got further and deeper into the lungs, and this trigger the asthma response that was characterized by the wheezing, shortness in breath, and non-productive cough. The pollen had blocked the trachea, and this interfered with the typical breathing system or respiration. In the process, the allergens in the body triggered the response from the immune system to produce the IgE antibodies to protect from the allergic reactions, and this caused on and off symptoms as the body responded to the allergens before treatment (Casset et al., 2006). Pollen is a common trigger of asthma and produces its effects through allergy. In the case, the lungs were affected by the dust, bringing on the typical asthma symptoms such as chest tightness, wheeze, cough, and the challenges in breathing. The child thus had suffered from an allergy that triggered asthma. The type of asthma that was sustained by the child is called allergy-induced asthma or allergic asthma.
References
Casset, A., Marchand, C., Purohit, A., Le Calve, S., Uring‐Lambert, B., Donnay, C., … & De Blay, F. (2006). Inhaled formaldehyde exposure: effect on bronchial response to mite allergen in sensitized asthma patients. Allergy, 61(11), 1344-1350.