Your Family Practice Physician Or Pediatrician
One of the best places to start looking for asthma doctors is with your primary care physician . Thats because he or she has numerous connections with specialists in your area, and will be able to recommend you to someone that can offer treatment. Even better, your healthcare provider or family doctor has experience with your medical history and understands the specifics of your condition, especially if you have other illnesses that need to be considered when treating your asthma as a result, your recommended healthcare provider will be even more personalized.
Can Asthma Be Prevented
While the onset of the process of asthma is mostly intrinsic, an onset can be prevented by avoiding/reducing the contact with the allergens if known and possible, and taking the medications regularly as advised by the doctor.
Steroid inhaler, if prescribed, helps in preventing the further triggers if taken regularly long term, and on the doctors/asthma nurses advice.
Immuno-modulators, which suppress the process of hyper-reactivity in the airways, can help in children whose symptoms present at night, or in children who experience exercise-induced symptoms.
What Are The Symptoms Of Asthma
Asthma is considered a chronic illness that affects the airways. It can be triggered by allergies, exercise, cold weather, or pollution.
Symptoms of asthma can vary from person to person, but they usually include:
- Difficulty breathing
- Rapid breathing
- Tightness in the chest
- Coughing and spasms in the muscles around your abdomen, ribs, or throat.
- A persistent cough
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Where Can You Find These Healthcare Providers
Now that you know what to look for in an asthma doctor, as well as what the different types of medical professionals are, youre probably wondering where you should start looking. Thankfully, there are several different steps you can take to begin the search, as well as to finalize your arrangement and begin working with a healthcare provider to treat your asthma.
It is important to consider, however, that you may not always find one practitioner that will treat your asthma. For example, many people combine the services of an allergist, primary care physician, and a respiratory therapist to take both a medicated and a more therapy-based approach to treating their symptoms. Therefore, consider that you may find more than one medical professional when youre looking for a specialist to help you with your asthma.
Where are some places you can look, or people you can ask for advice on how to find a healthcare provider for your asthma? Here are a few suggestions:
Asthma Action Plan To Treat Trouble Breathing
Every patient should have an individualized action plan this is a list of important information, education and instructions, including:
- Proper inhaler technique, which is a common problem for asthmatic patients
- How to avoid asthma triggers
- Signs of an upcoming attack, and breathing and relaxation techniques to calm attacks when they start
- What to do in the event of an asthma attack and when to seek emergency care
- Tips for weight management and proper nutrition
- How to control acid reflux, which is common in patients with asthma and can make symptoms worse
- Emergency contact information
Our team of lung specialist also cares for patients who are hospitalized after asthma attacks.
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What Is A Breathing Doctor Called
A pulmonologist is a physician who specializes in the respiratory system. From the windpipe to the lungs, if your complaint involves the lungs or any part of the respiratory system, a pulmonologist is the doc you want to solve the problem. Pulmonology is a medical field of study within internal medicine.
How Does A Doctor Treat Asthma
Dr. Shajan may conduct several tests or screenings to diagnose your asthma or determine the severity of your condition. For instance, with a peak flow test, a specialized device measures how hard you breathe out. If your peak flow output is low, Dr. Shajan can tell that your lungs arent working as well as they should.
After your evaluation and any necessary screenings, Dr. Shajan talks with you about possible treatment options. Even though no cure exists, asthma is easily manageable with the right medications and inhalers. Your asthma treatment plan may include:
- Long-term asthma control medications
- Quick-relief medications
When you begin asthma management care at The Doctors Office & Walk-In Clinic, you also learn all about your triggers. Dr. Shajan spends time teaching you about how to avoid your asthma triggers, so you can lower the incidence of asthma attacks.
The Doctors Office & Walk-In Clinic can help you manage your asthma and help lower the number and frequency of serious attacks. Book your asthma evaluation online, call to schedule, or walk in during business hours.
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How To Choose An Asthma Specialist
If you have asthma, youll want to find an asthma specialist who has the skills and experience to help prevent and treat your asthma symptoms. There are many types of doctors who care for people with asthma. You may not have to look any further than your own primary care doctor or your childs . Read on for some simple tips to help you choose the right asthma specialist for you.
What Is An Allergist
Allergists specialize in treating allergies and related conditions such as hay fever and skin reactions. An allergist would typically perform allergy testing and possibly provide immunotherapy shots for those with allergies. Immunotherapy is a treatment that uses injections of small doses of allergen to reduce the bodys immune response to it, which can eventually lead to fewer allergic symptoms. An allergist may also prescribe medications like corticosteroids or antihistamines as needed. For people living with chronic asthma, an allergist may offer further insight on how specific environmental factors might affect health in terms of mold, dust mites, pets at home, and food sensitivities.
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The Role Of The Pulmonologist In Copd
Seeing a pulmonologist may be necessary if you have a more complicated case of COPD. For example, your primary care provider may refer you to a pulmonologist if youre not responding well to COPD treatment, youre hospitalized for COPD exacerbation or your disease has reached a more advanced stage of COPD.
A pulmonologist may order a different combination of medications or special treatments for you. To better-assess your condition or implement diagnostic studies, they can also perform a bronchoscopy using a flexible scope to look down your airway and inside your lungs. A pulmonologist may also have a staff that is very much geared for the lung patient that a primary care provider may not have or be able to afford in their office. A pulmonologist may also be used to reinforce what the primary care provider has already initiated, especially the importance of smoking cessation in a patient who continues to smoke.
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How Can Asthma Be Treated
Treatment will involve long-term control medications to reduce the inflammation in your airways, preventing an asthma attack. In cases of an asthma attack, quick-relief inhalers may be used to open the inflamed airways. In some cases, if triggers are allergens, allergy medications may be necessary. Because asthma often changes over time, many may only have bad asthma symptoms as a child, and once their lungs have grown, the symptoms go away. In most cases, asthma is present for the rest of their lives, but symptoms will come and go.
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What To Consider When Choosing A Specialist
When choosing a specialist, take these considerations into account:
- How many years have they been practicing their specialty?
- How experienced are they in treating your condition?
- Have any complaints been logged against them in the Federation of State Medical Boards DocInfo database?
- If surgery is required, how many times a week do they perform the procedure you need?
- Do they accept your insurance?
- How comfortable do they make you feel?
- Are they patient enough to answer all your questions without rushing you through the appointment?
- Does their office follow local COVID-19 safety guidelines?
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Asthma Causes And Triggers
When you have asthma, your airways react to things in the world around you. Doctors call these asthma triggers. They might cause symptoms or make them worse. Common asthma triggers include:
- Infections like sinusitis, colds, and the flu
- Allergens such as pollens, mold, pet dander, and dust mites
- Irritants like strong odors from perfumes or cleaning solutions
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Asthma Specialist Career Outlook
The career outlook of doctors and surgeons, the broader occupational category where asthma specialists belong to, is set to be very bright for the next few years. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics revealed that the employment rate is set to rise 18 percent, a rate that is faster than the average for all job types. The demand will come from the growth of the elderly population who will require more medical care as well as the continued expansion of the industries related to healthcare. More job opportunities await those who are willing to practice in rural and low-income communities.
Chronic Sinusitis And Allergies What Kind Of Doctor Do You See For Allergy Testing
Board-certified Allergists are highly trained physicians who specialize in the diagnoses and nonsurgical treatment of chronic sinus issues and allergies. They also specialize in the management of asthma since most asthmatics have allergic triggers that affect their breathing. Allergists focus on the underlying cause of the symptoms to lessen the need for medications and surgery. In doing so, Allergists are like medical detectives who take a comprehensive and integrated approach to treatment. Through the appropriate use of allergy testing, Allergists can help patients to understand their triggers and teach patients the environmental strategies needed to avoid their triggers. Allergists use allergy test results to decide which medications would be the most effective. Allergists can also guide patients through allergen immunotherapy to help relieve persistent nasal and sinus symptoms when medications are not helpful or when patients wish to minimize the need for medications.
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Managing And Controlling Your Asthma
Asthma is defined as a chronic condition, which means that you need to continuously monitor and manage your asthma throughout your lifetime. While there is currently no cure for asthma, with proper treatmentand management you can effectively control your asthma and live symptom-free.
Asthma treatment is successful if you learn all you can about your asthma including: symptoms,triggers,medications and ongoing asthma management to achieve control. You and you alone know how you feel and how your asthma is affecting you and you need to be responsible for acting when your asthma is not in good control.
Many people with asthma believe that their asthma is controlled but in fact, surveys have shown that most people accept levels of asthma control that fall far short of the standards described in the Canadian Consensus Asthma Guidelines. In order to control your asthma it is very important that you actually understand what good asthma control means.
What Are Some Common Medications Used To Treat Asthma
Asthma is treated and controlled primarily with two types of medications:
- Inhaled corticosteroids are used to control lung swelling over the long-term
- Quick-relief beta2-agonists like albuterol are used as ârescueâ inhalers when symptoms occur.
Quick-relief inhalers donât reduce lung swelling and should not be used in place of long-term, inhaled corticosteroid treatment.
- A long-acting beta2-agonist bronchodilator and corticosteroid combination, such as Advair , may be needed in more severe asthma. Bronchodilators help your breathing by relaxing the smooth muscle around the lung airways.
- Other brands of fluticasone and salmeterol include AirDuo Digihaler, AirDuo Respiclick, and Wixela Inhub.
- Warning: The use of long-acting beta-2 agonists without a corticosteroid is associated with an increased risk of asthma-related deaths.
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How To Find An Asthma Treatment Specialist
- Posted on: Aug 20 2021
In order to keep asthma attacks and flare-ups at bay, you need to work with a doctor on a care plan. An asthma treatment specialist can be invaluable in creating this care plan, even more so than a general practitioner. There are multiple types of asthma treatment specialists. Depending on your symptoms and needs, you may do well to research the different varieties of specialists and choose one thats right for you. Millions of Americans suffer from asthma, but luckily, theres a whole area of medical practice dedicated to treating it. Learn how to find an asthma treatment specialist and set off on the road to better health.
Whats The Difference Between A Cardiologist And A Pulmonologist
The difference, basically, is the area of specialization. The cardiologist is an expert on the heart, while the pulmonologist is an expert on the lungs. These areas of your body are closely linked, though, and work better together when both your heart and lungs are healthy. If you have a disease like pulmonary hypertension, you may need to see both types of doctors since both heart and the lungs are involved.
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How Do You Treat Asthma
Our asthma doctors, Dr Habib-Khazen or Dr Alasaly, will prescribe treatments with a multi-tiered approach, including:
- Quick-relief medicationsSuch as Albuterol and Levoalbuterol to quickly open airways and reduce wheezing, coughing, and shortness of breath following triggers. Important: Quick relief medications do not build immunity against allergies or asthma. -that is accomplished through: allergy injections, Anti-Ige treatments and vaccines
- Asthma control medicationsIncluding inhaled and oral corticosteroids, bronchodilators, and leukotriene modifiers which treat inflammation.
- Allergy injections To build immunity against allergen triggers.
- Anti-IgE treatmentIncluding Xolair for those 12 and over with severe asthma, to block antibodies that cause allergic reactions and stop allergy-induced asthma attacks before they begin.
- VaccinesSuch as the flu and pneumococcal vaccines, to protect against respiratory disease and infections that can induce or worsen asthma symptoms.
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When Do I Need A Specialist
An internist should be able to treat your asthma up to a point. You may want to consider seeing an asthma specialist like an allergist or pulmonologist in any of the following scenarios:
- You had a life-threatening asthma attack or were admitted to an intensive care unit.
- One or more hospitalizations for asthma that you or your healthcare provider cannot identify what the trigger was.
- Poorly controlled asthma that does not respond to treatment over 36 months.
- You want an evaluation for allergy shots.
- You need oral steroids more than once per year.
- You have moderate persistent or severe persistent asthma.
- You need more education than your internist can provide.
Patients may not always be referred appropriately. Sometimes your healthcare provider may just need to be nudged. If you think you might benefit from subspecialty care do not be afraid to ask. Some healthcare providers may not be up to date with the latest recommendations for when a referral is appropriate.
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How Much Time Will I Get At The Specialist Asthma Centre
When youre first referred to a specialist asthma centre you may be offered appointments across one or two days.
Heres what might happen over a typical two-day appointment:
- The first day will probably be all about reviewing your asthma, in detail, right from the start. This may make you feel like youre repeating yourself, but its an important first step, and will give the specialist consultants useful information about your asthma. You may be offered blood tests to check youre taking your medicines in the right way, and skin prick tests to confirm any allergies.
- On the second day you may be reviewed by a team of respiratory specialists which could include physiotherapists, and health psychologists. You may be offered more tests, such as a measurement of your airway inflammation.
You can make the most of your appointment by making sure youre fully prepared and are ready to talk about your asthma in detail.
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Common Reasons To See An Ent Specialist Include:
- Cancer and tumors in the head and neck
- Nerve problems, pain, or injury to your ears, nose, or throat
- Breathing problems originating in nose or throat
- Tonsil or adenoid infection
Putting it all together
Allergists/immunologists and ENTs often work together to maximize control of nasal/sinus congestion and its entirely possible you may require evaluation from both specialists. Allergists will often refer patients to ENTs when surgery is needed and ENTs often refer patients to allergists when a formal allergy assessment is required.
Allergies are not the only cause of nasal symptoms. So if you have a known structural problem or suspect one, then an ENT specialist would be a good first choice. But if you suspect that you have a sinus or breathing issues related to allergies or asthma, consider seeing a Board Certified Allergist/Immunologist who can help diagnose, treat, and effectively control your symptoms through non-surgical methods.
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Choosing An Asthma Doctor In Rochester Ny
Finding the right asthma doctor to work with you and your family may actually be easier than you think. Here at Cornerstone Urgent Care Center, our walk-in clinic offers immediate treatment as well as ongoing medical care for the whole family. We can take care of everything, including asthma, allergies, immunizations, and checkups.
Our medical experts on staff can be your go-to asthma doctors who can help you figure out how to deal with your asthma the best way possible. You can set an appointment ahead of time or walk right in to our clinic and be seen by an asthma doctor very quickly. If you have any questions, contact our friendly staff today by calling our Rochester office at 207-0088 or by sending us an online message now. We look forward to being your healthcare partner!