Asthma
Asthma is a very common chronic condition that causes inflammation and narrowing of the bronchial tubes, which are the passageways that allow air to enter and leave your lungs. Asthma symptoms affect an estimated 26 million Americans, including 20 million adults and 6 million children. That’s approximately 1 in 12 people. Additionally, asthma ranks among the most common chronic childhood illnesses, accounting for 13.8 million missed school days a year, as well as more than 14 million lost workdays for adults.
As a chronic condition, asthma is something you will have to manage regularly, but the good news is you don’t have to face it alone. The great news is that you don’t have to let asthma hold you back.
There are two types of asthma:
- Allergic. This type is triggered by exposure to an allergen, such as mold or pet dander.
- Non-Allergic. This is brought on by factors such as stress, exercise, illness, extreme weather, irritants in the air and certain medications.
What Causes Asthma?
It’s hard to say for sure what causes asthma, but family genetics are believed to be a key factor. Asthma often runs in families. Environmental factors, such as exposure to secondhand smoke or air pollution, can also play a role. Asthma symptoms may be triggered by exposure to an allergen such as ragweed, pollen, animal dander, or dust mites, irritants in the air such as smoke, chemical fumes or strong odors or extreme weather conditions. Exercise or an illness, particularly a respiratory illness or the flu, can also make you more susceptible.
A physical display of strong emotion that affects normal breathing patterns — such as shouting, crying or laughing — can also act as an asthma trigger. Panic can prevent a person with asthma from relaxing and following instructions, which is essential during an asthma attack. Scientists have found that rapid breathing associated with strong emotions can cause bronchial tubes to constrict, possibly provoking or worsening an attack.
Asthma Symptoms
Asthma symptoms can appear at any time. Mild episodes may last only a few minutes and may be resolved spontaneously or with medication; more severe episodes can last from hours to days.
People with asthma, like those with any chronic condition, may experience significant stress. Because it is a leading cause of work and school absences, asthma can affect a person’s livelihood, education and emotional well-being. Depression may set in when people diagnosed with asthma believe that they are unable to participate in normal activities.
Asthma Symptoms in Children
Most children with asthma have symptoms before they turn 5. In very young children, it may be hard for parents, and even doctors, to recognize that the symptoms are due to asthma. The bronchial tubes in infants, toddlers and preschoolers are already small and narrow, and head colds, chest colds and other illnesses can inflame these airways, making them even smaller and more irritated.
The symptoms of pediatric asthma can range from a nagging cough that lingers for days or weeks to sudden and scary breathing emergencies.
Common symptoms to watch for include:
- Coughing, especially at night
- A wheezing or whistling sound when breathing, especially when exhaling
- Trouble breathing or fast breathing that causes the skin around the ribs or neck to pull in tightly
- Frequent colds that settle in the chest
Your child might have only one of these symptoms or several of them. You may think it’s just a cold or bronchitis. If the symptoms recur, that’s a clue that your child might have asthma. In addition, symptoms may worsen when your child is around asthma triggers, such as irritants in the air (smoke or strong odors, for example) or allergens like pollen, pet dander and dust mites.
Consultation with an asthma specialist is recommended if your child is 4 years old or younger and has asthma symptoms every day and three to four nights or more a month. It should be considered if your child has symptoms three days or more a week and one to two nights a month.
Asthma Triggers
Asthma triggers frequently include:
- Allergens such as pollen, dust mites, molds, and animal dander
- Irritants in the air, such as smoke, air pollution, chemical fumes and strong odors
- Medications, such as aspirin and acetaminophen
- Extreme weather conditions
- Stress
- Exercise
Allergies are just one of the factors that can trigger asthma attacks. Not all people with asthma have allergies and there are many people who have allergies but do not have asthma.
Some ongoing health problems can trigger asthma symptoms or make them worse. These include obesity, obstructive sleep apnea, acid reflux, stress and depression. Let your allergist know if you have one of these conditions so you can discuss the best approach to control both your health problem and your asthma symptoms. Colds and sinus infections can also worsen your asthma.
Effective treatment of allergic asthma includes identifying and avoiding allergens that trigger symptoms, using drug therapies and developing an emergency action plan for severe attacks. Your allergist may also recommend that you monitor your asthma by using a peak flow meter. This small handheld device allows you to measure how much air you can push out through your lungs. If your airflow is low, your allergist may recommend changes to your treatment plan, such as additional behavioral or environmental changes or a different asthma medication.
Insect Sting Prevention
Knowing how to avoid stings from fire ants, honeybees, wasps, hornets and yellow jackets leads to a more enjoyable summer for everyone. Stinging insects are most active during the late spring, summer, summer and early fall, and insect repellents do not work against stinging insects.
Yellow jackets nest in the ground and in walls. Hornets and wasps nest in bushes, trees and on buildings. Use extreme caution when working or playing in these areas. Avoid open garbage cans and exposed food at picnics, which attract yellow jackets. Also, try to reduce the amount of exposed skin when outdoors.
Effective methods for insecticide treatment of fire ant mounds use attractant baits. These baits often contain soybean oil and corn grits combined with chemical agents. The bait is picked up by the worker ants and taken deeper into the mound to the queen. It can take weeks for these insecticides to work.
Life-threatening allergic reactions can progress very rapidly and require immediate medical attention. Emergency treatment usually includes administration of certain drugs, such as epinephrine, antihistamines, and in some cases, corticosteroids, intravenous fluids, oxygen and other treatments. Once stabilized, these patients sometimes require close observation in the hospital overnight.
For your safety and health, it is important to know if you have an insect allergy. Contact the Sinus Institute of Atlanta today to schedule a consultation and discuss your options.
Can You Cure Asthma?
There is no cure for asthma, but there are effective treatments available. The best way to manage your asthma is to work with an allergist. Studies show that people with asthma who see a specialist such as an allergist reduce their:
- Symptoms
- Emergency room visits
- Hospital stays
- Sick visits to the doctor
- Missed days from work or school
- Health care costs
Your First Appointment
Your first step toward relief is to contact the Sinus Institute of Atlanta to schedule an appointment to receive a proper diagnosis. Dr. Pradeep Sinha will evaluate several things before making an asthma diagnosis, and it’s nice to know what to expect.
At your first appointment, one of Dr. Sinha’s goals will be to learn a little bit more about you and your symptoms: Do you have a family history of asthma? Is there a time of day or year that your symptoms tend to flare, and have you tried medications? Dr. Sinha will then conduct a physical exam of your chest, eyes, ears, nose and throat. He will look for signs of congestion, wheezing and skin rashes, which can help determine if your asthma symptoms are being triggered by an underlying allergy.
Asthma Testing
One of the most common ways to test for asthma is to use a spirometer – a small instrument that measures the amount of air you can breathe in and out. It’s a simple, safe test that helps measure how well your lungs are working.
You’ll be asked to breathe in until your lungs are full. You’ll then blow the air out into a hollow tube as hard and as fast as possible. The tube is attached to a device that measures how much air you’re able to hold in your lungs and detects whether anything is obstructing your airways.
Once you’ve taken the test once or twice, your allergist may have you use an inhaler. You will then blow into the spirometer again to determine whether the inhaler medication improved your lung function.
Dr. Sinha may also suggest a skin test, blood test or chest X-ray. These tests give him more information to work with to help you get your asthma under control.
Asthma Diagnosis
If you receive an asthma diagnosis, don’t worry. Asthma is not a disability. With the right treatment, there’s no reason you can’t live life exactly as you would without this condition – sports, hiking, playing with your kids. You can have it all, if you get diagnosed and keep up with the treatment prescribed for you by Dr. Sinha.
The treatment plan developed for you by Dr. Sinha will address all your symptoms and will likely include at least one of the following:
- Identifying and then avoiding the specific triggersthat bring on your symptoms
- Medication
- Allergy immunotherapy – A highly effective preventive treatment that can help the immune system become less sensitive to triggers such as pollen, pet fur, and house dust)
Contact the Sinus Institute of Atlanta to schedule an appointment with an asthma specialist if
- Your asthma symptoms occur every day and often at night, limiting your activity.
- You’ve had a life-threatening asthma attack.
- Your goals for asthma treatment haven’t been met after three to six months, or your doctor believes that you aren’t responding to current treatment.
- Your symptoms are unusual or hard to diagnose.
- You have conditions such as severe hay fever or sinusitis that complicate your asthma or your diagnosis.
- Additional tests are needed to find the causes of your symptoms.
- You need more help and instruction on your treatment plan, medicines or asthma triggers.
- Allergy shots might help you.
- You need oral corticosteroid therapy or high-dose inhaled corticosteroids.
- You’ve taken oral corticosteroids more than twice in one year.
- You have been hospitalized because of your asthma.
- You need help to identify your asthma triggers.
Although asthma symptoms are controllable, a cure for asthma has remained elusive. Preventive treatment should minimize the difficulties caused by asthma and allow a normal, active lifestyle. Don’t let asthma hold you back, contact the Sinus Institute of Atlanta to schedule your initial consultation.