Asthma Treatment in Annapolis, MD
The physicians and staff at Annapolis Asthma Pulmonary & Sleep Specialists have extensive experience diagnosing and treating patients throughout the Annapolis area for asthma. Our board-certified pulmonologists will take the time to fully evaluate your asthma symptoms and triggers in order to determine the treatment options best for you. If you have been diagnosed with asthma or are seeking diagnosis, please call (410) 266-1644 to schedule an appointment at our pulmonary center in Annapolis, MD.
What Is Asthma?
Asthma affects nearly 26 million Americans or roughly 1 in 14 people. Asthma is a chronic lung disease. It causes difficulty while trying to draw air through your lungs. It can start at any age and nearly 26 million Americans have asthma, 7 million of them being children. Unfortunately, there is no cure for asthma. However, with proper management, people living with asthma can live completely normal and healthy lives without asthma.
What Causes Asthma?
The swollen airways in the lungs become sensitive to certain triggers, and when those triggers enter the body, those airways create extra mucus making it difficult to breathe which leads to asthma attacks, complications and sometimes death.
The key is to understand the triggers that cause asthma. Sometimes, you may not even know you have it until you’re exposed to those triggers. This means the environment you live in is a huge cause and risk factor for asthma. Additionally, genetics is a risk factor for asthma.
Asthma Attacks
Some people may have minor asthma and never receive treatment for it, and when they relocate to an area with more of their asthma triggers – they finally experience the symptoms of asthma or endure an asthma attack. Asthma attacks usually present themselves in the following forms:
- Tight feeling in the chest
- Rapid, short inhalation
- Shortness of breath
- Heavy Coughing
- Heavy Wheezing
However, it is possible that a variety of other conditions are causing these symptoms, such as different allergies, different ages, smoking habits, and more.
When to Be Concerned About Shortness of Breath
Asthma symptoms can vary widely from one person to another, but they all affect the individual’s ability to breathe. This may present itself as a slight wheeze for some, while others may experience severe complications that make it difficult to make it through the day without an asthma attack. If you are experiencing shortness of breath relating to Asthma, contact Annapolis Asthma, Pulmonary & Sleep Specialists to discuss the severity of your asthma and the treatment for shortness of breath.
How Is Asthma Diagnosed?
Your doctor will need to conduct tests to diagnose asthma. First, they will ask about symptoms, medical history, experiences, etc. to get a good sense of asthma is a possibility. After that, the most common test is called Spirometry, in which your doctor will use a device to measure the airflow of the lungs.
Typically, if you have the above symptoms, have a parent with asthma, and also have allergies (including skin allergies), a pulmonologist will conduct a lung functioning test. After that, usually, a trial period of asthma medication will be given, depending on the results, with a follow-up appointment to monitor the outcome.
Schedule Your Asthma Treatment in Annapolis, MD Today
To learn more about asthma and how it may specifically affect you in your daily life, contact our pulmonary specialists for a one-on-one consultation to review the severity of your asthma and the treatment options available. Please call Annapolis Asthma, Pulmonary & Sleep Specialists at (410) 266-1644 to schedule your appointment at our pulmonary treatment center in Annapolis, MD.