Uncontrolled asthma can affect your life and sense of well-being. The symptoms of asthma can range from mildly uncomfortable to severe and debilitating. The severity of reactions can vary depending on some factors. Proper asthma care requires working with a doctor and creating an asthma care plan together.
If you have asthma, you should do what you can to avoid your triggers. However, you can’t always avoid your triggers, which is why you need to prepare for care in the situation of an asthma attack.
Here are some guidelines in asthma care that can help you take back control from asthma.
Get Diagnosed
A diagnosis is required to receive the right treatment for your condition. There are other conditions that share the same symptoms as asthma. Respiratory infection, bronchitis, and other lung diseases can cause chest pain, coughing, wheezing, and difficulty breathing, too. A medical evaluation plus a series of tests, including a pulmonary function test, will be used to confirm an asthma diagnosis and determine what type of asthma you have. There are differences in the treatment for nonallergic asthma and allergy-induced asthma.
Follow Your Doctor’s Instructions
Your doctor will create an asthma care plan and teach you how to manage your condition. The goal of asthma treatment is to prevent and control asthma symptoms so that the patient can live a normal life.
- Avoidance of triggers. First, the doctor will help identify your asthma triggers. Both types of asthma have triggers. Common triggers for allergy-induced asthma include pollen, dust mite, mold, and pet dander. Hot or cold weather, airborne irritants, stress, exercise, and respiratory illnesses are triggers for nonallergic asthma. Properly avoiding triggers is important in asthma management.
- Self-assessment. Second, you will be taught how to self-monitor and assess the severity of symptoms in order to adjust medication accordingly.
- Administering treatment. Third, you will be taught how to take your medication correctly. Asthma medication usually consists of short-acting medication, which you take during an attack, and long-acting medication, which acts to prevent or reduce the frequency and severity of asthma symptoms. Inhaled corticosteroids are effective in treating allergy-induced asthma since it dampens the body’s immunological response. Allergy medication and shots also help control allergy-induced asthma. For non-allergic asthma, treatment may involve leukotriene modifiers and long-acting beta-agonists, which open up airways, relax the lung muscles, and improve asthma symptoms. Treatment of the underlying cause of nonallergic asthma, such as respiratory infection or disease, is also important.
With a proper diagnosis and treatment plan, you can get your asthma symptoms under control and reduce the risk of complications. With proper asthma care, you can have a normal pulmonary function and live a normal life without fear of the next attack.
Asthma Management in Rochester, NY
At Cornerstone Urgent Care Center, our healthcare professionals can help you manage your asthma, whether it’s allergy-induced or nonallergic. We treat a wide range of health conditions, including respiratory infections and illnesses. Plus, our physicians deliver compassionate care to all our patients. To receive medical care, simply walk into our clinic at 2968 Chili Ave, Rochester, NY 14624, or check-in online to let us know you are coming. If you have any questions, feel free to call our walk-in clinic at (585) 207-0088.
