Asthma

What is asthma?

Asthma is a pulmonary disease in which inflamed air passages swell and disrupt normal breathing. People with asthma experience episodes of breathing difficulties called asthma attacks. 

In an asthma attack, your airways grow oversensitive, responding to certain triggers with irritation, inflammation, and swelling. That narrows the airways and makes breathing difficult. 

What are the symptoms of an asthma attack?

An asthma attack usually causes symptoms such as:

• Shortness of breath
• Chest tightness or discomfort
• Coughing
• Wheezing 
• Whistling sound when breathing out
• Restless sleep due to coughing

Asthma can affect every person differently. Both frequency and intensity of asthma attacks can vary quite a bit. Some people have breathing difficulties and other asthma-related issues every day, but others have only rare asthma attacks, often after exposure to a particular trigger. 

What are asthma triggers?

There are many asthma triggers, and they're individual to each person. You usually recognize your triggers more and more over time, and testing may narrow them down so you know what to avoid.

Some common triggers in asthmatics include:

• Dust mites
• Pet dander
• Pollen
• Mold
• Outdoor smoke
• Respiratory infections such as the flu
• Cold air
• Food allergies
• Air pollutants
• Gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD)

Exercise may also trigger an asthma attack.

How is asthma diagnosed?

TruDoc Medical LLC offers comprehensive diagnostic testing onsite. Spirometry, which measures the air you inhale and exhale, is a very important test for asthma diagnosis. 

If the team suspects asthma causes your symptoms, they commonly perform a spirometry test and then administer asthma medication before doing another test. If your lung function improves between the two tests, asthma is the most likely cause of your respiratory difficulties.  

You may also need other tests to rule out other problems, find co-occurring issues, or confirm an asthma diagnosis. These can include:

• Allergy tests
• Acid reflux tests
• Sleep apnea tests
• Vocal cord dysfunction tests
• Chest X-ray
• Electrocardiogram (EKG)

Up to 75% of adults with asthma also have allergies, and up to 60% have obstructive sleep apnea. By having the specific tests the team recommends, you can learn the true underlying causes of all your breathing issues.

How is asthma treated?

Asthma isn't curable, but it's manageable with help from the TruDoc Medical LLC team. In most cases, you need two types of medication:

Long-term medication

Long-term medication, which includes inhaled and oral drugs like corticosteroids, can prevent asthma attacks and reduce symptoms when you take them every day. 

Rescue inhaler

A rescue inhaler, which you use only during an asthma attack, contains albuterol, a fast-onset medication that can open your lung passages and allow you to breathe. 

Along with medication, trigger management is very important. Avoiding triggers can greatly reduce the frequency and intensity of your asthma attacks. If you have co-occurring conditions like sleep apnea or allergies, the team can prescribe condition-specific solutions for those as well.

Book your asthma appointment by calling TruDoc Medical LLC or clicking the scheduling link now.