What Is An Asthma Doctor Called

Whats An Asthma Attack

When you breathe normally, muscles around your airways are relaxed, letting air move easily. During an asthma attack, three things can happen:

• Bronchospasm: The muscles around the airways constrict . When they tighten, it makes the airways narrow. Air cannot flow freely through constricted airways.
• Inflammation: The airway linings become swollen. Swollen airways dont let as much air in or out of the lungs.
• Mucus production: During the attack, your body creates more mucus. This thick mucus clogs airways.

If Your Asthma Symptoms Are Caused By Allergies Take Steps To Control Knownor Potential Triggers In Your Environment

Allergy-proof your house for dust, mold, cockroaches, and other common indoor allergens to which you are allergic.

Reduce your outdoor activities when the pollen count or ozone level is high.

Choose foods that dont contribute to your asthma or allergy symptoms.

Evaluate your workplace for possible allergens and take the necessary steps to reduce your exposure to them.

In order to determine relevant triggers, you may want to seek consultation with an allergist who can further define these triggers.

In addition, anyone with asthma should consider getting an annual flu shot. Older adults also should talk with their internist about getting a pneumonia vaccination.

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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How Can An Asthma Specialist Help Me

Asthma is a chronic condition that affects your airways, and results in symptoms like shortness of breath, tightness in your chest, and persistent coughing or wheezing. Asthma can limit your air flow and cause difficulty breathing, which is why its a condition that must be taken seriously and needs medical attention and treatment as soon as symptoms first onset. If you have asthma, you may have experienced an asthma attack, which is a distressing situation in which your asthma onsets quite severely and makes it difficult to breathe.

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What Are The Symptoms

You may have any of the following:

Shortness of breath, trouble breathing, or fast breathing

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What Can An Ent Do For Chronic Sinusitis

When symptoms of sinusitis prolong past the 12-week mark despite receiving treatment, the condition moves from acute to chronic. Chronic sinusitis is best treated utilizing a holistic approach targeting both the trigger of the condition as well as effectively treating any ensuing infection. ENTs can correct anatomical or structural problems that are contributory to chronic sinus infections. When the symptoms are tied to an allergy, a Board-certified Allergist can help guide treatment options and lessen the long term need for medications through allergen immunotherapy.

What Specialist Helps With Asthma

Asthma is a common lung disease which affects many people in the United States. Asthma specialists are experts who help with treatments and care for those with asthma. This blog post will explore what asthma specialists do, their education requirements, salary, and how to become one.

-Asthma specialists provide treatment strategies for patients suffering from this condition

-They may also prescribe medicine or offer inhaler techniques to help relieve symptoms of an attack

-The average annual salary of an asthma specialist ranges between $100,000-$150,000 depending on position type and location

-There are specific degree paths that students can take in order to become an asthma specialist including respiratory therapy or nursing degrees.

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Where Can You Find These Doctors

Now that you know what to look for in an asthma doctor, as well as what the different types of doctors 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 doctor to treat your asthma.

It is important to consider, however, that you may not always find one doctor 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 doctor 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 doctor for your asthma? Here are a few suggestions:

What Is The Difference Between An Allergist And A Pulmonologist

An allergist treats asthma patients whose primary triggers are environmental, suffering from what is known as allergic asthma. On the other hand, a pulmonologist specializes in lung disease and often treats more severe asthma cases triggered by stress, exercise, etc.

Typically, you will see a pulmonologist if you are involved in an emergency asthma situation and go to the hospital. Oftentimes, after a pulmonologist treats you, they will refer you to an allergist and work collaboratively to identify asthma triggers.

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What Does A Pulmonologist Do At Your First Visit

What should you expect when you make your first appointment with a lung specialist? You will be asked a number of questions about your symptoms and what you have been experiencing that made you decide to come in. Then you will receive a physical exam, where your lung doctor will listen to your lungs and your breathing. Your pulmonologist will want to measure your blood oxygen level and your lung function with a number of tests. First they will use a pulse oximeter, possibly followed by an arterial blood gas study, to test the oxygen in your blood as well as identify potential problems with lung function. Your lung specialist will also ask you to blow into a device called a spirometer to test how well air flows through your respiratory system. Finally, your lung doctor may need to conduct other tests to make a diagnosis, including a bronchoscopy, chest x-ray or CT scan. This allows your pulmonologist to get a thorough picture of your lung health and assess any airway or lung damage they are able to identify.

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Asthma Medicines And Devices: Options And Tips

Asthma Doctors Are Called Asthma Lung Disease. Learn which doctors can help you and what questions to ask. Working with an asthma doctor can help improve how you manage your condition. A pulmonologist specializes in diseases that. Your doctor may refer you to a pulmonologist if your asthma symptoms have a more severe cause.

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What Are The Signs Of Asthma

Many people first receive an asthma diagnosis after an asthma attack. In a severe asthma attack, you feel like you cant breathe or cant get enough air. Sudden asthma attacks, or exacerbations, can last from a few minutes to days. If left untreated, asthma attacks can be dangerous.

While asthma is a lifelong disease, most people have periodic attacks separated by symptom-free periods. People with asthma may experience:

• Coughing, especially at night or in the early morning
• Wheezing
• Trouble breathing
• Chest tightness

What Are Common Side Effects With Asthma Medications

Inhaled asthma medications are usually well-tolerated with few side effects when used as prescribed however, there are a few precautions.

• Inhaled corticosteroids can cause oral thrush, a fungal infection of the mouth.
• Rinsing your mouth with water after using the inhaler or using a spacer device might help prevent thrush.
• Contact your doctor if you notice white patches in your mouth, which could be the beginning of a thrush infection.

Inhaled quick-acting medicines like albuterol can also cause side effects like: shakiness, nervousness, difficulty sleeping or a fast heartbeat, among others.

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What Can I Expect At The Hospital

The doctor or nurse will check your oxygen level and give you more oxygen. He or she may check your peak flow and do a blood test. You may have to take other medicines, such as nebulizer treatments or steroids. The medicines may be given through an IV. You also may need to stay overnight in the hospital, depending on how bad your attack was and your response to treatment.

What Causes An Asthma Attack

An asthma attack can happen when you are exposed to asthma triggers. Your asthma triggers can be very different from someone elses asthma triggers. Know your triggers and learn how to avoid them. Watch out for an attack when you cant avoid your triggers. Some of the most common triggers are tobacco smoke, dust mites, outdoor air pollution, cockroach allergen, pets, mold, smoke from burning wood or grass, and infections like flu.

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Who Develops Asthma Or Allergies

Asthma and allergies can affect anyone, regardless of age, gender, race or socioeconomic factors. While its true that asthma and allergies are more common in children, they can occur for the first time at any age. Sometimes allergy symptoms start in childhood, disappear for many years and then start up again during adult life.

Although the exact genetic factors are not yet understood, there is a hereditary tendency to asthma and allergies. In susceptible people, factors such as hormones, stress, smoke, perfume or other environmental irritants also may play a role.

I wonder how many other people out there are going about their lives, maybe even pushing themselves like I was, unaware that they have asthma or another respiratory condition.

Brooke C.

How You And Your Asthma Doctor May Work Together To Treat Your Asthma

After receiving a diagnosis of asthma, youll probably see your asthma specialist as often as once every two to six weeks. When your asthma is under control, you may be able to drop your appointments down from once a month to a couple of times a year. Some things you can expect from your asthma management:

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What Are Common Asthma Attack Triggers

An asthma attack happens when someone comes in contact with substances that irritate them. Healthcare providers call these substances triggers. Knowing what triggers your asthma makes it easier to avoid asthma attacks.

For some people, a trigger can bring on an attack right away. Sometimes, an attack may start hours or days later.

Triggers can be different for each person. But some common triggers include:

• Air pollution: Many things outside can cause an asthma attack. Air pollution includes factory emissions, car exhaust, wildfire smoke and more.
• Dust mites: You cant see these bugs, but they are in many homes. If you have a dust mite allergy, they can cause an asthma attack.
• Exercise: For some people, exercising can cause an attack.
• Mold: Damp places can spawn mold. It can cause problems for people with asthma. You dont even have to be allergic to mold to have an attack.
• Pests: Cockroaches, mice and other household pests can cause asthma attacks.
• Pets: Your pets can cause asthma attacks. If youre allergic to pet dander , breathing in the dander can irritate your airways.
• Tobacco smoke: If you or someone in your home smokes, you have a higher risk of developing asthma. The best solution is to quit smoking.
• Strong chemicals or smells.

With asthma, you may not have all of these symptoms. You may have different signs at different times. And symptoms can change between asthma attacks.

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 “rescue” inhalers when symptoms occur.

Quick-relief inhalers don’t 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.

There are many other long-term asthma control drugs available, including: cromolyn inhalation, oral theophylline, tiotropium , fluticasone and vilanterol and omalizumab .

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Why Would You Need To See A Pulmonary Specialist

A pulmonary doctor is trained to address any number of respiratory diseases, disorders and conditions. If you have COPD, lung cancer, pulmonary hypertension, rheumatoid lung disease or even a complicated case of pneumonia, you may be referred to a lung specialist. Once the lung doctor is called, make sure you have as much information as possible from your primary care physician, as well as a list of questions you may have, so you can go into your appointment with your pulmonary doctor prepared.

Questions To Ask When Choosing An Asthma Specialist

Once you determine the type of asthma specialist you want to see, consider the following questions to help make the best choice:

Changes in medical coverage may mean that the doctor you now see will not be the one you see in a year or two. This makes it even more important to understand your asthma diagnosis fully, stay abreast of treatment methods, and follow your asthma action plan.

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Asthma Doctors: Pulmonologists3doctors Help People With Exercise

Asthma Symptoms Can Mimic Other Illnesses Or Diseases Especially In Older Adults For Example:

• Hiatal hernia, stomach problems, heart failure, or rheumatic arthritis can create asthma-like symptoms.
• Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease has many of the same symptoms as asthma. COPD, which includes emphysema and chronic bronchitis, is very common in older adults especially those who are or have been smokers.

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Who Are Asthma Specialists And What Do They Do

Allergist-Immunologist Its common for people with asthma to also have allergies the same allergens that can set off your hay fever such as pollen, dust mites, and pet dander can trigger asthma symptoms. An allergist-immunologist is a physician who is specially trained to identify asthma and allergy triggers, and can diagnose asthma and other allergy-related diseases. Your allergist-immunologist may conduct allergy and breathing tests to find the cause of your asthma.

Allergists-immunologists can do a deep-dive investigation into what could be causing your breathing problems. We now understand that asthma in many patients has an underlying inflammation, says Alan Goldsobel, MD, an allergist-immunologist at Allergy and Asthma Associates of Northern California in San Jose. Working with this type of asthma specialist can make a difference in how well you manage your asthma: According to the American Academy of Allergy Asthma & Immunology , studies have shown that asthma patients who are treated by an allergist have fewer asthma flare-ups and emergency room visits.

Allergist-immunologists and pulmonologists may help you manage your asthma through their expertise in the following areas:

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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
• Air pollution
• Strong emotions such as anxiety, laughter, sadness, or stress
• Medications such as aspirin
• Food preservatives called sulfites, found in things like shrimp, pickles, beer and wine, dried fruits, and bottled lemon and lime juices

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