Asthma

Did you know that in the United States around 8% of adults live with asthma according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention? At Allergy and Asthma Institute, LLC, in Duluth, Georgia, allergy and asthma specialist Lakshmi Reddy, MD, provides innovative and personalized asthma treatments to give you much-anticipated relief from your uncomfortable asthma symptoms. Dr. Reddy and the team can help you learn how to identify and avoid your asthma triggers and prevent an asthma attack. Call Allergy and Asthma Insitute, LLC, or book an appointment online today. 

What is asthma?

Asthma is a medical condition involving your airways and respiratory system. Inflammation can cause your airways to narrow, which can make breathing difficult. Asthma symptoms include:

• Wheezing
• Shortness of breath
• Fatigue
• Coughing
• Sneezing

You might also experience tightness and pain in your chest. Your provider can diagnose and monitor asthma and assess how your lungs are working, your breathing capacity, and other important aspects of your health with a lung function test.

What is an asthma attack?

An asthma attack is the rapid onset or worsening of asthma symptoms where your airways become narrow, swollen, and mucus builds up.

If an asthma attack isn’t properly treated, it can be dangerous. With restricted breathing, the symptoms are typically more severe.

What causes asthma?

If you contend with asthma, you have sensitive airways that react negatively to specific environmental triggers, such as:

• Strong odors and irritants from perfumes and cleaning solutions
• Allergens, such as pet dander, mold spores, pollen, and dust mites
• Infections, such as sinusitis or colds
• Tobacco smoke
• Certain medications
• Smoke and air pollution

A certain type of asthma called exercise-induced asthma is triggered by exercise.

How is asthma treated?

After your provider has diagnosed your asthma, they work with you to identify your asthma triggers.

Asthma treatments are typically focused on avoiding exposure to an allergen, preventing an asthma attack, and enhancing your general health, so there’s less chance you’ll have an asthma attack in the future. In many cases, the goal is to reduce your reaction to your asthma triggers by improving your body’s tolerance.

Your provider might suggest certain allergy medications to decrease the chance of an asthma attack along with other methods to improve your health, such as nutrition, appropriate exercise, stress reduction, and other lifestyle changes.

For optimal results, your physician might use multiple asthma treatments in conjunction.

Preventive medications and devices like bronchodilators and inhalers can reduce inflammation in your airways. These devices can be helpful for controlling your symptoms long-term, and they’re typically designed to open up restricted and swollen airways and improve your breathing capacity. 

When you identify your asthma triggers, you can work to avoid them when possible. You could also choose effective treatments like immunotherapy (allergy shots) to increase your body’s tolerance to the allergen over time through the safe and careful administration of minor, consistent, and controlled doses of the allergen. 

Get your asthma under control with the right personalized medical care. Call Allergy and Asthma Institute, LLC, or schedule an appointment online today.

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