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Asthma Triggers & Family Doctor’s Tips
When you start to feel short of breath and chest tightness, it can be overwhelming to manage your asthma symptoms at that moment. The good news is that lifestyle changes and proactive treatments can help you manage asthma so you can live the best life possible.
Asthma: What You Need to Know
Chronic inflammation in the airways often occurs because a patient has asthma. When the inflammation is present, it causes the airways to fill with mucus. Additionally, the airways start to narrow, making it hard to breathe.
People with asthma often experience symptoms such as chest tightness, shortness of breath, wheezing, and chronic coughing.
Unfortunately, asthma is a chronic disease, which means that you will likely have this condition for life. But some people notice that the severity of their symptoms varies depending on their current health and environmental factors.
Some people with mild symptoms find that asthma is only a minor inconvenience. However, other patients have moderate or severe asthma symptoms that interfere with daily activities, making it hard to work or participate in certain hobbies.
Causes of Asthma
Why have you developed this chronic breathing condition ? It isn’t clear why asthma develops, and doctors continue to research why this health condition occurs.
Often, asthma runs in families – it is an inherited health problem. Other risk factors include being overweight, smoking, or exposure to environmental pollutants and chemicals.
Additionally, the risk of asthma goes up when you are exposed to a combination of environmental factors. Ongoing exposure increases the likelihood of moderate or severe asthma symptoms.
Asthma Triggers to Avoid
You might be predisposed to asthma, then have the symptoms flare when you are exposed to specific triggers. It’s important to monitor your symptoms so you can start making the lifestyle changes necessary to minimize your asthma triggers.
The most common asthma triggers include:
- Cigarette smoke
- Airborne allergens, such as mold and pollen
- Perfumes
- Odors
- Exercise and other types of physical activity
- Respiratory infection, like the common cold
- Emotional stress and strong emotions
- Pet danger
- Air pollution
- Gastroesophageal reflux disease
- Cold, dry air
When a patient comes in contact with these triggers, it can cause the asthma symptoms to flare. The bronchial tubes start to narrow, resulting in a sudden onset of symptoms such as chest tightness, shortness of breath, cough, and wheezing.
Tips for Managing Asthma
Even though asthma can’t be cured, there are things that you can do to control the symptoms. Here are a few tips so you can minimize the symptoms and enjoy a full life:
- Create an asthma action plan: Your personalized treatment plan includes action steps to take when your symptoms are flaring. You need to know what to do when an asthma attack occurs. Additionally, you need ongoing lifestyle changes to minimize the likelihood of asthma attacks in the future.
- Identify and avoid triggers: Pay attention to the times when your asthma flares, then think back to the exposures that might have contributed. Keep a notebook and look for patterns in your lifestyle and environment so you can start making changes to avoid these issues going forward.
- Recognize the signs: It’s hard to manage a severe asthma attack. But you can decrease the severity by recognizing symptoms in the earliest stages. Watch for warnings of an impending attack, such as shortness of breath or coughing, then take action to protect your lung function before the symptoms worsen.
- Take your medication: Use your prescriptions as instructed to get ahead of the asthma symptoms as quickly as possible. Acting swiftly with medication use reduces the likelihood of a severe asthma attack. Also, early intervention helps to reduce the amount of medication required to control the symptoms.
- Stop current activities: If you are participating in activities that might contribute to asthma symptoms, stop those activities immediately. For example, if exercise triggers your asthma, stop the exercise session and focus on managing your symptoms.
It’s important to maintain ongoing communication with your doctor so you can adjust your treatment plan as needed. Tracking your symptoms is an effective way to see if your changes are actually working to improve your life.
When to Talk to a Doctor About Asthma
How do you know when it’s time to talk to a doctor about your asthma symptoms? It’s important that you know when to follow up on your treatment plan. Contact your doctor if:
- You Need a Diagnosis: If you think you might have asthma, then it’s time to schedule an appointment with your doctor. Reach out to our office for a consultation if you are experiencing wheezing, coughing, or shortness of breath.
- Ongoing Monitoring: After you are diagnosed with asthma, maintain regular appointments to monitor and adjust your medications.
- Worsening Symptoms: Are you finding that your symptoms are getting worse, even when you are implementing your asthma treatment plan? Then it’s time to talk to a doctor again.
- Using Your Inhaler More Often: One sign that you need medical care is that you are using your quick-relief inhaler more frequently. If this medication isn’t helping to manage your symptoms, then you might need to change your treatment plan.
- Health and Lifestyle Complications: Not only is untreated asthma potentially life-threatening, but it can also cause other complications. For example, asthma flareups can interfere with work and school. There are also potential long-term side effects, such as a permanent narrowing of the airways – affecting how well you breathe even when you aren’t experiencing an asthma flareup.
Additionally, every asthma patient needs to recognize the warning signs when emergency treatments are necessary. Asthma can be a life-threatening condition since it affects the airways and can interfere with breathing and oxygen levels.
Always seek immediate medical attention if you are experiencing severe asthma attacks. These are some of the signs that you need emergency medical services:
- No improvement after using your quick-relief inhaler
- Wheezing and shortness of breath is progressing rapidly
- Minimal physical activity is triggering moderate or severe symptoms
Talk to a Doctor About Asthma
Our experienced team at Colorado Primary Health Care offers asthma services, as well as a wide range of medical care and treatments. Our goal is to give you a convenient solution for all your medical needs. These services are available for people of all ages.
We invite you to use our online form to book an appointment. Or, feel free to call our office if you have questions, or you would like to schedule a time to meet with a doctor: (303) 703-8583.
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