Asthma is a chronic condition that causes your airway to narrow in response to a trigger. Each person with asthma is different. Thus, triggers vary significantly from person to person. Asthma is always serious. It’s a type of lung disease that, when severe, can be life-threatening. Living well with asthma means working with a health care provider to manage your asthma.
Board-certified internal medicine physician Prabhdeep Singh, MD, works with patients to accurately diagnose and manage asthma. An effective asthma management plan involves learning your triggers, monitoring your symptoms, and using asthma control medicine regularly.
Read on to learn more about how to manage asthma and prevent asthma attacks.
Asthma affects people of all ages and usually starts in childhood. However, it is possible to have symptoms of asthma for the first time as an adult. If you have asthma, it means that you experience periods where your airways become inflamed and narrow.
Symptoms of asthma include the following:
If you experience symptoms and suspect you may have asthma, it’s wise to seek medical evaluation.
Learning and minimizing your triggers is an integral part of an effective asthma management plan. Dr. Singh helps patients identify asthma triggers. Avoiding your triggers can help prevent and reduce asthma attacks. It’s not always possible to avoid certain triggers, but your provider can help you minimize your exposure to triggers.
Common asthma triggers include but are not limited to:
Many people with asthma have allergies. Managing your allergies may help control asthma symptoms.
If you’re diagnosed with asthma, Dr. Singh will work with you to create a treatment plan to manage your symptoms and prevent asthma attacks. An allergy test can help identify your triggers. Most people are treated with long-term daily control medicine and short-term relief medication.
Dr. Singh may prescribe long-term medicine such as corticosteroids or biologic drugs to take daily to help prevent your symptoms. Short-term inhalers are used when you have symptoms of an asthma attack.
Also known as a rescue inhaler, Dr. Singh will ensure that you know how to use this medication properly. It’s crucial to keep your rescue inhaler with you at all times. A combination of long-term and quick-relief medication is the most effective way to manage asthma and prevent asthma attacks.
Your provider may recommend using a peak flow meter to help you monitor lung function and asthma symptoms. A peak flow meter is a portable, hand-held device that measures your ability to push air out of your lungs.
This measures how open your airways are. Your peak flow may drop before you have noticeable symptoms. By monitoring your peak flow, you can prevent an asthma attack and act when one is likely to strike.
Since no two asthma patients are alike, Dr. Singh creates individualized treatment plans for patients with asthma. Prompt diagnosis and early treatment can prevent complications and protect your lung health.
If you or your loved one is dealing with asthma symptoms or problems breathing, we can help you get it under control. To request an appointment with Dr. Singh, call our El Centro office today or request an appointment online.
