Can You Get Rid of Asthma?

Asthma is a condition that occurs when your airways begin to narrow and swell and can produce extra mucus, causing difficulty breathing, triggering coughing, a whistling or wheezing sound when you begin to breathe in and out, and shortness of breath.

For some, asthma can be a minor condition to deal with; however, for others, asthma can be a major issue that interferes with everything in their daily activities and lives and may lead to a life-threatening asthma attack.

There is no cure for asthma, but the symptoms can be controlled. Asthma does change over time, so individuals who have asthma must be in constant contact with their doctor to track the signs and symptoms of their asthma and adjust the treatment accordingly.

As stated previously, unfortunately, there is no cure for asthma. However, there are several treatment options available to the public that can control their symptoms of asthma.

With asthma being able to change throughout an individual’s life, they will have to have regular checkups with their asthma specialist to review and track their signs and symptoms, so the treatment option may consistently change depending on the signs and symptoms the individual is showing. This is to make sure that they are in constant control over their asthma symptoms, and that it does not lead to any asthma attacks.

Symptoms of asthma may include:

● Shortness of breath
● Chest tightness or even pain
● Whistling or wheezing sound when exhaling
● Trouble sleeping due to shortness of breath, coughing or wheezing
● Coughing or wheezing attacks that began to worsen by a respiratory virus like a cold or flu

There are a few signs that your asthma may begin to worsen, which is when you must see an asthma specialist to help manage your asthma. They include:

● Asthma signs begin to be more frequent and bothersome than previously
● Increasing difficulty in breathing
● Need to use a quick-relief inhaler for their asthma more frequently

Asthma specialists are specialized doctors who have trained as allergists or pulmonologists with the skills in asthma management gained through extra training and experience. They are different from your primary care doctor, as they have more specialized training in asthma management.

It is recommended that you start seeing an asthma specialist for your asthma care if you meet any of the following:

● Life-threatening asthma exacerbation
● Not meeting the goals set out for them for their asthma therapy after 3 to 6 months of treatment
● Signs and symptoms of their asthma are atypical or issues with differential diagnosis
● Other conditions that may complicate their asthma
● Additional diagnostic testing is needed
● Requires additional education and management with asthma therapy, problems with adherence, or allergen avoidance
● Considered for immunotherapy
● Requires step 4 care or higher in adults, step 3 or higher in children 4+, and step 2 or higher in children 0-4
● Requires more than two bursts of oral corticosteroids in 1 year or has exacerbated required hospitalization
● If there are any complexities with the patient, treatment, or other issues, an asthma specialist will need to step in to help manage the patient’s asthma over a while or help co-manage
● Patients with significant psychiatric, psychosocial, or family issues that may interfere with their asthma therapy

An asthma specialist is a doctor who specializes in the treatment and management of asthma in individual patients. They understand respiratory problems, and your healthcare provider can offer you additional treatment options, referrals to certain treatments, or diagnostics to get a better idea of the severity of your asthma and help continually change your treatment plan throughout your life to best fit you.

If you would like to learn more about asthma treatment, call us. Allergy & Asthma Center looks forward to your visit soon! For more information, contact us or book an appointment. We serve patients from Lawrenceville GA, Atlanta GA, Conyers GA, Suwanee GA, Duluth GA, Grayson GA, Decatur GA, Brookhaven GA, Lithonia GA and Covington GA.