Asthma

What is Asthma?

Asthma is a chronic lung disease that causes your airways to narrow and get inflamed making it hard to breathe. Airways may also get blocked by excess mucus which can trigger coughing, wheezing and shortness of breath. Asthma cannot be cured but symptoms associated with asthma can be controlled.

Treatment & Prevention

Severe asthma attacks can be life-threatening, so it is important not to delay care. Signs of an emergency include rapid worsening of shortness of breath or no improvement after using a quick-relief inhaler. It is important to see a doctor right away if your symptoms worsen. Prevention and long-term control are imperative to stopping asthma attacks.

Prevention is the first form of treatment and typically involves learning to recognize triggers and taking steps to avoid them. It is also important to track your breathing to make sure medications are keeping symptoms under control. In the event of a flare-up, doctors may prescribe medications to help reduce inflammation in your airways.

Medications will vary based on several factors including your age and symptoms. Practitioners may prescribe long-term asthma control medications, quick-relief inhalers and/or allergy medications when necessary. Long-term medications are generally taken daily to keep your asthma under control and reduce the risk of an attack while quick-relief inhalers quickly open swollen airways when having an asthma attack. Chesapeake Telemedicine can treat your asthma symptoms by prescribing the necessary medications including inhalers and corticosteroids to keep your symptoms at bay. Schedule your appointment with us today and get your asthma under control!