If you’re one of 25 million Americans living with asthma, you know there is nothing more terrifying than being unable to breathe during a flare-up.
Asthma is a lung disorder in which your airways become narrow and swollen and produce extra mucus, making breathing difficult for you to breathe in and out. Asthma, when left untreated, can be life-threatening.
While there is no cure for asthma, there are some ways by which your lung doctor can help you manage your asthma. Let’s discuss three treatments that a lung specialist provides for asthma treatment and where you can go for effective treatment of asthma in Weatherford, TX.
Asthma Treatment
The cookie-cutter approach doesn’t work for asthma treatment, but individualized treatment is needed for asthma management.
So, to develop an asthma treatment plan, lung specialists consider several factors, including the severity of asthma symptoms and how often these signs and symptoms of asthma occur.
In addition to treatments for a flare-up, a treatment plan developed by a lung specialist may also include learning to recognize the triggers, such as particular allergens, and taking steps to avoid these triggers.
The following are some ways to manage your asthma for both the long and short term.
Medications
Medications are usually recommended for asthma treatment based on a number of things, including your age, symptoms, asthma triggers, and what provides you relief.
Quick-relief medications
Quick relief or rescue inhalers are used for rapid and short-term relief from asthma symptoms during a flare-up. Such inhalers contain short-acting beta-agonists, such as albuterol and levalbuterol. Anticholinergic agents and corticosteroids (oral and intravenous) can also be used for short-term asthma relief.
Your rescue inhaler should be with you at all times – on your bed, at the gym, at work, etc. so that you use it in case of a bad asthma flare.
If the inhaler fails to improve breathing, it’s best to call 911.
Long-term Asthma Control Medications
Medications taken daily are prescribed to control asthma in the long term. In addition to keeping asthma under control, these medications also make it less likely for you to experience an asthma flare-up.
Medications that provide long-term relief from asthma are inhaled corticosteroids, leukotriene modifiers, theophylline, and a combination of long-acting beta-agonists and corticosteroids.
Immunotherapy
Asthma triggered or worsened due to allergies can be managed with allergy shots or immunotherapy.
Immunotherapy is a treatment in which your doctor does tests, such as blood tests and skin tests, to identify the allergen that triggers your asthma and then uses the same allergen (but in a minimal amount) to treat your allergy-induced asthma.
Biologics
If you have severe asthma or your asthma has an allergy trigger, your doctor may recommend you an injection of biologics such as omalizumab (Xolair). Xolair inhibits the mechanism by which histamine is released and causes asthma symptoms.
Asthma Treatment in Weatherford, TX
If you or someone you love sometimes experience sudden cough, wheezing, and trouble breathing, it may be due to asthma. So, it’s in the best of your interest to be evaluated and treated by a lung specialist – such as those on our medical team at Lung & Sleep Specialists of North Texas.
Our lung specialist will thoroughly evaluate your condition and prescribe a personalized asthma treatment plan to help you breathe better and feel better.
For the treatment of your asthma or allergies, make an appointment with us by calling us today at (817) 594-9993 or request an appointment online now.