What is asthma?
Asthma causes your lungs to swell and overproduce mucus, making it difficult for you to breath. It’s a chronic condition that requires ongoing medical care, even if your asthma attacks are rare.
Researchers aren’t sure why some people get asthma and others don’t, but theorize that genetics and environmental factors are involved. For many, allergens such as pollen or pet dander trigger an attack. For others, exercise, stress, or cold air may cause the changes in your lungs that make it difficult for you to breath.
No matter the trigger, Dr. Koshinski helps you get your asthma under control to reduce future attacks.
What are the symptoms of asthma?
The symptoms of asthma vary, and formal testing is necessary to confirm a diagnosis. However, some common symptoms of asthma include:
- Chest pain and tightness
- Shortness of breath
- Wheezing when you exhale
- Difficulty sleeping due to coughing or wheezing
Dr. Koshinski conducts lung function tests to determine if your symptoms are in fact asthma. Once diagnosed, she classifies your asthma based on the frequency and severity of your symptoms, which helps her devise your treatment plan.
How is asthma managed?
Dr. Koshinski takes a multi-treatment approach in the management of your asthma to help prevent attacks. First, she helps identify your triggers so she can create a plan to help you avoid them. Then, she prescribes long-term medications to reduce inflammation and prevent asthma attacks that you take daily, and short-acting medications to open the lungs that you take in the event of an attack.
If allergies cause your asthma, she may recommend additional treatment to help manage your allergies such as immunotherapy or an injection called omalizumab that alters your immune system to help prevent allergy-related attacks.
What can I do at home to help with my asthma?
As a physician focused on prevention, Dr. Koshinski also recommends you take steps at home to help keep your asthma under control. This may include changing the filters in your air and heating systems regularly to reduce dust, using dust-proof covers on your pillows and bed, and keeping your house clean to reduce the prevalence of dust and mold.
Getting regular exercise strengthens both your heart and lungs and may reduce your risk of having an attack. It may also help you maintain a healthy weight, which also makes breathing easier.
For effective asthma management, call Rita S. Koshinski DO Primary Care in Monterey, California, or use online booking to schedule an appointment today.
