About Asthma

 

  Most people think of asthma as an “attack.” One minute you feel okay and the next you have to gasp for air, but asthma can actually cause a range of   symptoms, from mild to very serious.

 

Perhaps you wheeze, making a squeaky or whistling sound when you breathe. You might have frequent chest colds or bronchitis a few times a year. Or maybe your only symptom is cough that wakes you up at night or happens when you exercise or laugh.

 

Medicine can be prescribed to control lung inflammation and reduce most asthma symptoms. However, poorly controlled asthma can be dangerous. Rarely, the progression of inflammation and airway constriction may even results in death.  Fortunately, this is extremely uncommon with currently available medicine.

 

Allergists are doctors who have specialized training and experience to help you find out what caused your asthma.  This information can help you prevent and treat symptoms and help keep your asthma under control.

 

                 If your asthma is under control, you can expect:

 

• Be active; even play sports, without having asthma symptoms

   

• Sleep through the night

   

• Prevent almost all asthma attacks

   

• Avoid emergency room visits or hospital stays

   

• Reduce your need for quick-relief medicines

   

• Not miss work or school because of asthma

   

• Continue normal activities

                                                                                                  What Is Asthma?

 

Asthma is a condition that causes episodes of decreased airflow within the lungs.  This may result in a variety of symptoms, including difficulty breathing, wheezing (a whistling sound when breathing), chest tightness or cough.

 

Decreased airflow in asthmas is caused by inflammation, which is mucus build-up, redness, irritation and dead cells in the lungs. Such inflammation can lead to constriction, or tightening, of the air passages.  This constriction is not constant, but instead comes and goes.  Therefore, asthma symptoms also tend to come and go.  When the tightening is severe and prolonged it often leads to very severe symptoms.  This situation is referred to as an “asthma attack”.

 

 

Who Has Asthma and Why?

 

Asthma is very common, affecting more than 22 million people in the United States, including almost 7 million children.  No one knows for sure why some people have asthma and others don’t.  People who have family members with allergies or asthma are more likely to have asthma.

 

Many people who have asthma also have allergies.  In many cases, allergies can trigger asthma symptoms or an asthma attack.  This is called “allergic asthma” and is the most common form of asthma.  It is often triggered by allergens like dust mites, animal dander, mold and pollen.

 

Allergists are experts at treating both allergies and asthma.  Your allergist can explain how your allergies can affect your asthma and teach you steps to keep both conditions under control.

 

What Are Asthma Symptoms?

 

Many people do not know they have asthma, especially If their symptoms are not severe, but any asthma symptoms may indicate poor asthma control.

 

     The most common asthma symptoms are:

 

• Coughing, especially at night, with exercise, or when laughing

   

• Trouble breathing.

   

• A tight feeling in the chest

   

• Wheezing – a squeaky or whistling sound

   

   

  Sometimes a cough that won’t go ways is the only symptom.  Asthma often happens at night and in the morning, but they can happen anytime.  They get worse when you are around your asthma trigger.

   

   

  What Triggers Asthma?

   

  Triggers can cause asthma symptoms.  Not everyone has the same triggers.

   

       Asthmas triggers include:

   

• Allergens such as pollen, dust mites, mold as well as cats, dogs and other animals.

   

• Irritants such as tobacco smoke, air pollution, some chemicals, gases and strong odors like perfume and cleaning supplies.

 

• Exercise.

 

• Medicines such as aspirin.

 

• Cold air or sudden weather changes.

 

• Health conditions such as obesity, sleep apnea, acid reflux, common colds, sinus infections, stress and depression.

 

You should take control of your asthma.  The first step is to know your asthma triggers and learn how to avoid them.  An allergist can help you do both.

 

 

How is Asthma Diagnosed?

 

When you visit an allergist, the doctor will:

 

• Ask you about your medical history, including your general health, your symptoms, and whether other members of your family have asthma or allergies such as hay fever, hives or skin rashes like eczema.

   

• Ask you about your asthma attacks or symptoms.  The allergist will want to know when symptoms occur, how often they happen and what seem to bring them on.

   

• Do a physical exam.

 

• Test your breathing.  The allergist will measure how much your lungs are working with a quick and painless test called spirometry.  The test measures how much air you can blow out of your lungs after taking a deep breath.

   

  The allergist also may order other tests such as blood test or allergy tests.  Allergy tests can be done at any age and can be helpful in finding if your asthma is triggered by allergies.

   

   

   

   

  How is Asthma Treated?

  Asthma treatment is based on the severity and frequency of your symptoms.  To help develop the right plan to control your asthma, your allergist may ask about your current and past symptoms.  This will help determine your risk for future attacks.

   

  Trigger avoidance

  Once you and your allergist have identified factors that your asthma, you can learn how to avoid them.  This is the most important first step to controlling your asthma. In some cases, avoidance can be just as effective as taking the medicine.

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Medication

 

There are two types of medicines to treat asthma: “quick relief” medicine and “controller” medicine.

 

• Quick-relief medicines. Everyone with asthma should carry a quick-relief medicine at all times to treat asthma symptoms that can occur anytime.  These medicines help open the airways quickly.  They also treat the noisy part of the disease – the coughing, wheezing and gasping from breath that can happen during an asthma attack.  Your allergist may also recommend using this medicine before exercise.  Examples of quick-relief medicines are albuterol and levalbuterol.  For most people with well-controlled asthma, a single canister should last a full year.

   

  Quick-relief medicines can stop asthma symptoms now. However, they do not prevent future symptoms nor do they control the underlying inflammation that causes the symptoms in the first place. If you need your quick-relief medicine more than twice a week or more than two nights a month, then your asthma is NOT well controlled.  Be sure to tell your allergist.

   

• Controller medicines are taken daily for long-term control.  Some people need this type of medicine to treat the quiet part of asthma- the underlying inflammation that causes the airways in the lungs to become inflamed and swollen.  If your doctor prescribes this type of medicine, it should be taken every day, even when you feel well, to prevent symptoms.