Asthma in Fresno, CA

Asthma is a chronic condition that affects the respiratory system that makes breathing difficult and uncomfortable. When asthma is triggered, it causes the airways in your lungs to constrict, making it harder for air to pass through. Some asthma is triggered by allergies, allergic asthma, and others are triggered by lifestyle or environmental factors like stress, medication, air temperature, smoke, pollution, or other health conditions like an infection.

Symptoms of asthma include:

• Coughing or wheezing
• Shortness of breath or chest tightness or pain
• Fatigue or below-average athletic performance
• Trouble sleeping because of shortness of breath, coughing, or wheezing
• Coughing or wheezing attacks that are worsened by flu and cold viruses

 
Severe symptoms that require immediate medical treatment:

• Shortness of breath or wheezing that is rapidly increasing or worsening, so that you are struggling to breathe or using your rib muscles to assist in breathing
• No improvement after using your prescribed rescue Albuterol asthma inhaler – please call 911 for emergency treatment to the nearest Emergency room

Asthma is a clinical diagnosis usually determined by patient history signs and symptoms.

Asthma Testing

Tests usually performed that may indicate presence of asthma is “spirometry” or a pulmonary function test where the patient blows into a breathing handpiece with the filter that detects changes in lung volumes with time and also after bronchodilator administration.

Asthma Treatments

The key to preventing worsening asthma symptoms is long-term prevention and control of the condition, which starts by understanding the triggers that cause inflammatory effects. In some cases, patients will use long-term medications (maintenance controller steroid inhalers such Fluticasone, Beclomethasone, Budesonide) to reduce swelling and inflammation in their airways, as well as quick-relief inhalers (Albuterol HFA, Levalbuterol HFA ) in the case of their symptoms being triggered. Because asthma can be triggered by allergies, your allergy and immunology specialist may also recommend allergy shots or latest biologics such as injectable monoclonal antibodies ( Omalizumab or Xolair®, Dupixent® , Fasenra® , CinqAir® or Nucala® ) for improved control.

Yes – poor control of allergies may lead to Asthma. Nearly 85% of Asthmatics have an allergic trigger

Significant allergies leading to inflammation in the lungs causing Asthma. Poor air quality or exposure to smoke from fires and inhalation of soot , diesel particles may also cause Asthma to flare.

Cold temperatures may cause the lung breathing tubes to constrict and result in an Asthma flare

A mild asthma flare up may only last for a few minutes, but for those who suffer from complicated asthma, a flare up may last as long as a few hours or even days. Most commonly, medication administered through an inhaler can provide fast-acting relief, but there are also times when a flare up requires more serious medications or intubation.