Asthma

Asthma, which causes attacks of breathing difficulties, is one of the most common disorders in those under 18. If your child has asthma, talk to Nana Mireku MD, FACAAI, FAAAAI, of Texas AllergyMD in McKinney, Texas. Dr. Mireku offers compassionate and effective care to children and adults living with asthma. To find out how Dr. Mireku can help your family members with their asthma symptoms, call Texas AllergyMD today. You can also book a telehealth or in-person appointment online.

What is asthma?

Asthma affects the airways in your lungs, so they become inflamed, swollen, and highly sensitive. The increased sensitivity causes an extreme response to irritants in the air you breathe, causing additional swelling and the production of thick mucus. Your muscles also tighten, making it harder to breathe.

These factors combine to limit how much air you take in. While most of the time you can breathe normally or adequately, asthma causes attacks where the symptoms flare up. During a severe asthma attack, airway constriction might prevent enough oxygen from reaching your vital organs. Without treatment, one of these severe attacks could prove fatal.

What symptoms does an asthma attack cause?

Typical asthma attack symptoms include:

• Wheezing
• Coughing
• Tight chest
• Shortness of breath
• Fast, shallow breathing
• Difficulty speaking

These symptoms are frightening because you feel you can’t breathe properly, which might make you panic. Unfortunately, stress and feelings of panic make the chest tightness and other symptoms worse.

Why would I have asthma?

There’s no single reason some people get asthma while others don’t. Your genes play a part, as you’re more likely to have asthma if other people in your family have it or similar conditions like seasonal allergies (hay fever) and eczema.

Smoking could increase the risk of asthma in adults, and breathing in secondhand smoke makes children more likely to get asthma. Other environmental pollutants like exhaust fumes could also be involved.

Asthma most often develops during childhood and is the most common chronic health condition in the under 18 age group. It sometimes improves or disappears entirely in adulthood.

What might trigger an asthma attack?

Common asthma attack triggers include:

• Pet dander
• Pollen
• Cold air
• Mold
• Cleaning products
• Smoke
• Dust mites
• Exercise (exercise-induced asthma)  
• Air pollution
• Certain medications
• Some food additives

Stress and other strong emotional responses can also trigger asthma attacks.

How is asthma treated?

As yet, no cure for asthma exists. Fortunately, Dr. Mireku can help you or your child manage the condition successfully with medication.

Long-term asthma control medicines like inhaled corticosteroids can help reduce your likelihood of having an asthma attack if you take them regularly. If you suffer an attack, use the inhalers Dr. Mireku prescribes. They contain medicines that quickly relax your airways so you can breathe.

Environmental sublingual immunotherapy or allergy shots could help with asthma caused by allergens like pollen and dust. New drugs (biologics) for asthma also target the cause of allergic inflammation.

For expert asthma treatment and prevention, call Texas AllergyMD today or book an appointment online.