Asthma

The main symptoms of asthma include a wheezing sound when you breathe, shortness of breath, chest pain or chest tightness, nasal flaring, and difficulty speaking. Asthma flare-ups occur periodically and can last for mere minutes to days. If you experience severe asthma, you need to go to an emergency room immediately.

The exact cause of asthma is unknown, though people who have asthma appear to be more sensitive to triggers like pet dander, pollen, mold, dust mites, cigarette smoke, pollution, cleaning products, and perfume. Exercise, stress, dry air, sulfites, and anti-inflammatory drugs can also trigger asthma.

We’ll first perform a detailed health history and physical examination. Then we’ll conduct tests that may include a breathing test and/or chest X-ray, as well as breathing into a hand-held device called a spirometer and a peak flow meter, which measure how much air you breathe out as well as your ability to expel air from your lungs.

Unfortunately, there is no cure for asthma, so to manage it for the long-term we will help you identify the allergens that trigger it and prescribe medications based on the severity of your asthma. We may also show you how to use a peak flow meter at home to detect asthma flare-ups so they can be more effectively treated.