What is asthma?

Asthma is a chronic disease causing recurring breathing difficulties, coughing, and other symptoms related to lack of airflow. 

An asthma attack begins when the immune cells lining your airways overreact to a trigger. This causes your airway walls to swell, significantly shrinking the amount of air that can pass in and out of your lungs.

Each asthma sufferer has their own triggers, but some of the most common triggers include smoke, dust mites, air pollution, pet dander, and chemicals. 

What is an asthma attack like?

During an asthma attack, you usually experience:

• Gasping for air
• Coughing repeatedly
• Chest tightness or pain
• Wheezing, a whistling noise when you breathe
  
  

You might notice warning signs before an asthma attack, like increased coughing, insomnia, and irritability. 

How is asthma diagnosed?

Your CPI Physicians doctor evaluates your family history of asthma, and your own history of breathing problems, coughing, and wheezing. They listen to your breathing to detect wheezing and/or other signs of breathing difficulty. 

To confirm an asthma diagnosis, your doctor uses spirometry, a test that measures air intake and outflow. They test you both before and after breathing in albuterol, an inhalant that helps open your air passages. 

You may also need a six-minute walk test, a simple pulmonary stress test, which is also done on-site at CPI Physicians.

How do you treat asthma?

Symptom reduction is essential, so asthma inhalers are the cornerstone of asthma treatment. There are two main types of inhalers. 

Rescue inhalers

Rescue inhalers relieve sudden attacks, so you use them when an attack starts. They generally contain albuterol, with brand names including ProAir®, Proventil®, and Ventolin®. 

Long-acting inhalers

Long-acting inhalers prevent asthma attacks and are used daily. They can’t be used as rescue inhalers. Many patients get the best results from a combination of long-acting albuterol inhalers like Serevent Diskus® and Foradil HFA® and inhaled steroids like Pulmicort® and Asmanex®. 

There are also combination inhalers that include both long-acting albuterol and steroids, and inhalers that work as both rescue and preventive inhalers. If you have both asthma and seasonal allergies, you might need a leukotriene inhibitor inhaler like Singulair®. 

CPI Physicians helps patients determine their asthma triggers and designs a prevention plan as part of asthma treatment. Your provider recommends changes so you avoid your triggers, minimize your asthma attacks, and regain your quality of life. 

Book your appointment online or call CPI Physicians for asthma support today.