/assets/production/practices/c58396c95b8548fe20aeba82dc3805c686c6255f/images/2503023.jpg)
Asthma services offered in Clifton and Maywood, NJ
Struggling to breathe on a regular basis could be a sign of asthma, a long-term condition affecting the airways that’s fortunately controllable. At Prevention Clinics in Clifton and Maywood, New Jersey, Maged Boutros, MD, Ana Urriola, PA-C, and the team provide pulmonary function tests to help diagnose asthma and can develop an individualized treatment plan to help you breathe better. Schedule your appointment for asthma care over the phone or book one online today. Telemedicine appointments are also available for your convenience.
Asthma Q & A
What is asthma?
Asthma is a long-term condition that affects your breathing. Some people with it experience symptoms all the time, while others only experience symptoms on occasion, often in response to triggers.
If you have asthma, you might experience:
- Wheezing
- Shortness of breath
- Coughing
- Chest tightness
- Trouble sleeping because of breathing problems
Asthma causes your airways to constrict and fill with mucus, which leads to breathing problems. At Prevention Clinics, Dr. Boutros often uses pulmonary function tests (PFTs) to assess the function of your lungs with various parameters, like volume, flow rate, or efficiency of gas exchange.
What triggers asthma symptoms?
Not everyone gets asthma symptoms in response to particular triggers, but many do. Some people get asthma attacks in response to their triggers, which are severe flare-ups of asthma symptoms. Some asthma attacks are severe enough to be life-threatening and may need medical care if you don’t have the tools to manage the attack with you.
Common asthma triggers include:
- Exercise
- Allergens (e.g., pollen, pet dander)
- Cold air
- Stress
- Respiratory infections
Identifying your triggers, if you have any, is a key step in figuring out the best way to manage your asthma. Once you recognize your triggers, you can avoid them or prepare to encounter them in the future with quick-relief medications for asthma.
How can I manage my asthma?
Not everyone benefits from the exact same approach to managing asthma. However, there are several treatments that seem to work well for many people. At Prevention Clinics, Dr. Boutros provides treatment to manage asthma attacks when they happen as well as other treatments to reduce your asthma symptoms overall.
Your options for asthma treatment include:
- Long-term asthma control medications
- Quick-relief medications
- Allergy medications
- Identifying and avoiding triggers
Many long-term and quick-relief medications for asthma come in inhalers, which make it easy for you to breathe in the medication, so it goes directly into your lungs. You only use quick relief medications when you need them, whereas you take long-term asthma control medications daily.
Find out more about asthma and what you can do to control symptoms by scheduling an at Prevention Clinics today. Call the nearest office or book online today.