What is asthma?
Asthma is a chronic inflammatory disease of the lungs which can make it hard to breathe. The airways themselves are very sensitive and become obstructed making it difficult to get air out.
Are there different types of asthma?
There are different types of asthma. People who are diagnosed with asthma as children tend to experience different symptoms than those who are diagnosed as adults. Some asthma is more linked to allergies. Some asthma in women can be affected by changes in hormones.
Patient Education: Using Phenotypes to Evaluate and Manage Asthma from Discovery Channel CME on Vimeo.
What are asthma phenotypes?
A phenotype is a set of characteristics that is the result of both your family history (genes) and the environment. Researchers at the University of Pittsburgh Asthma and Environmental Lung Health Institute have been instrumental in identifying distinct phenotypes in patients with asthma. Some patients develop asthma early in life and have many known allergies. Other people develop asthma later in life, have more severe symptoms, and don’t have allergies. Your asthma specialist may treat you with different, precision medications, depending on your phenotype.
What is severe asthma?
A small percentage of patients with asthma experience symptoms that are uncontrolled despite maximal medical therapy or that worsen quickly without strong medicines. These patients have what is called “severe asthma.” It is estimated up to 1 in 10 adult asthmatics have severe asthma. These patients are at higher risk of getting asthma flares or using oral steroids to control asthma flares and therefore would likely benefit from consultation with an asthma specialist.
What causes asthma?
There are a lot of different factors that can cause or worsen asthma, which is why seeing an asthma specialist is important if your symptoms are not well-controlled. We know that having a family of history increases your risk of asthma, but there are many other risk factors which can lead to this disease. Some of the risk factors include viral infections (such as the common cold), exposure to certain materials in the workplace, allergies, cigarette smoking, air pollution, and obesity.
What are the signs and symptoms of asthma?
The main symptoms are shortness of breath, wheezing, chest tightness and coughing. Other conditions can cause these symptoms as well, so it is important to consult an asthma specialist to receive a proper diagnosis.
What are the goals of asthma treatment?
The goals of asthma treatment are to prevent chronic and troublesome symptoms, reduce the use of rescue medicine such as albuterol, maintain near-normal breathing capacity, maintain normal activity levels, and meet the patients’ expectations of and satisfaction with their asthma care. We also want to prevent recurrent exacerbations/flare-ups, minimize the need for emergency room visits or hospitalizations, prevent progressive loss of breathing capacity, and prevent reduced lung growth in children.
What are asthma triggers?
Triggers are factors that can bring on an asthma attack.
Controlling your environment by reducing or stopping exposure to your triggers is an important part of treatment. Every person with asthma has different triggers. The following are common triggers: dust mites, animal dander, pollens, indoor molds, cockroaches, tobacco smoke, infections, strong odors, stress, exercise, respiratory infections, aspirin and aspirin-like drugs (ibuprofen), and hormones. You do not have to avoid exercise if you have asthma; in fact, exercise is strongly encouraged. Premedicating with an inhaler before exercise can help reduce the risk of an asthma attack.
What medicines are used to treat asthma?
There are two main types of medicine to treat asthma: long-term control medicines (controllers) and quick relief medicines (rescue medicines). Long-term control medicines prevent symptoms and treat the disease process and inflammation. These medicines are taken daily, even if you feel well. Quick relief (rescue) medicines work quickly to open up narrowed airways when shortness of breath or other acute asthma symptoms occur. Based on simple tests of your blood and/or your breath, we may be able to identify specific treatments that may be best for your asthma phenotype (see section above).
How do you use an inhaler?
There are several types of inhalers including: metered dose inhalers (MDI) and dry powder inhalers (DPI). Specific instructions come with each inhaler. If you have any questions about the proper use of an inhaler, don’t hesitate to ask your asthma specialist or consult with a pharmacist.
What is peak flow monitoring?
A peak flow meter measures how well air moves out of your lungs. The peak flow rate can be used to find out if there is narrowing of the airways. Your personal best number is the highest peak flow number you can achieve over a two-week period, when your asthma is under good control. Once you know your personal best, your doctor may decide to guide your treatment plan based on your numbers.
How do I know how severe my asthma is?
The severity of your asthma is mainly determined by how often you have symptoms, your breathing test results, the type and amount of medications you use daily, and how often you have to use your rescue inhaler. We use specific asthma questions to determine how severe your asthma is and if it has been under control. Our goal for asthma patients is to have as few symptoms as possible.
How can I tell if my symptoms are from asthma or vocal cord dysfunction?
Vocal cord dysfunction (VCD) is a condition in which the vocal cords spontaneously close, cutting off the air supply. It can often present like asthma, and some individuals can experience symptoms of both conditions simultaneously. VCD can be difficult to distinguish from asthma and you should ask your asthma specialist about ways to distinguish VCD from asthma.
What do I do if my asthma is not under control?
Talk with your doctor about your concerns. Our physicians would also be delighted to see you in our clinic. If you are an adult patient, please call (412) 648-6161 to schedule an appointment. If you are the parent of a child with asthma, please call (412) 692-7885 (Pediatric Allergy/Immunology) or (412) 692-5630 (Pediatric Pulmonary) to schedule an appointment.