Asthma Specialist
-
- Tweet
Pulmonary Care Clinics
Pulmonology & Critical Care & Sleep Medicine Specialist located in Cooper City, FL
Around 20 million people across the United States have asthma, which can cause attacks of severe wheezing and shortness of breath. If you need expert help with your asthma symptoms, Zael Vazquez, MD, and his team at Pulmonary Care Clinics in Cooper City, Florida, can help. Dr. Vazquez is a fellowship-trained expert in lung disease and offers the most advanced treatments for adults with asthma. Call Pulmonary Care Clinics to find out how you can manage your asthma more effectively, or book an appointment online today.
Asthma Q & A
What is asthma?
The common lung complaint asthma causes you to experience attacks where you find it hard to breathe. It develops because of inflammation and swelling in your airways, and a severe asthma attack could be life-threatening.
Asthma symptoms typically include chest tightness, shortness of breath, wheezing, and a cough. These symptoms occur when you have an asthma attack, which usually results from encountering a trigger. Common asthma triggers include:
- Anxiety
- Emotional distress
- Smoke
- Exercise
- Strong odors
- Weather changes
- Upper respiratory tract infections
- Acid reflux
- Medications
- Certain foods
Allergic asthma is responsible for around 50% of cases. If you have this form of asthma, your triggers are allergens like pollen, mold, pet dander, or dust mites. Identifying any allergic triggers can help you avoid asthma attacks.
How is asthma diagnosed?
The Pulmonary Care Clinics team diagnoses asthma with the help of tests such as:
Spirometry
Spirometry is a standard lung function test that measures the quantity of air you breathe in and out, and how fast you exhale.
Peak flow
A peak flow meter measures how hard you're able to breathe out.
Methacholine challenge
Methacholine is an asthma trigger that causes your airways to narrow. If you react to methacholine when you inhale it, you probably have asthma.
Nitric oxide test
The nitric oxide test determines how much nitric oxide gas is present in your lungs. High levels of this gas in your exhaled breath indicate airway inflammation, which is a key sign of asthma.
There are other assessments the team can use as well, such as treadmill testing to diagnose exercise-induced asthma.
How is asthma treated?
The treatment you need for your asthma may depend on the cause of your condition and how severely it affects you. The Pulmonary Care Clinics team offers several options according to your needs:
Medications
Medications like inhaled corticosteroids, leukotriene modifiers, and theophylline all help to keep airway inflammation under control.
Biologics
Biologics are drugs that use natural substances to target the cause of your asthma. They can be helpful for moderate to severe asthma. Omalizumab, for example, binds with a specific antibody to prevent it from triggering an inflammatory response and causing an asthma attack.
Immunotherapy
If you have allergic asthma, you might benefit from a course of immunotherapy. This treatment involves having regular exposure to the allergens that cause your asthma in the form of shots or sublingual drops that go under your tongue.
Over months or sometimes years, the continual contact with the allergen switches off your immune system's overreaction.
You should also carry an inhaler with you at all times containing a bronchodilator medication to provide immediate relief of asthma symptoms.
For expert help in managing your asthma, call Pulmonary Care Clinics today or book an appointment online.
