Asthma, bronchitis, and other respiratory conditions can cause shortness of breath, chest pain, and other frustrating issues. At Sterling Medical Center in Sterling Heights, Michigan, the friendly and skilled care team offers testing along with effective breathing treatments, inhalers, and other solutions to quickly resolve respiratory issues like asthma. Book using the online scheduler, or call to make your appointment today.
Asthma is a serious condition that affects your ability to breathe. If you suffer from asthma, the airways that deliver air into your lungs sometimes swell, grow narrower, and get clogged up with mucus. This leaves you with very tiny spaces for air to pass through.
Asthma occurs in flare-ups that are also called asthma attacks. Most of the time, you’ll breathe normally. But, when an asthma attack starts you’ll suddenly have to fight just to draw in any air at all.
Asthma sufferers sometimes say that asthma flare-ups feel like being a fish out of water, or like they’re trying to breathe using just a straw. Asthma can affect anyone, but it’s most common in children.
Difficulty breathing is the main symptom, but you may also experience other problems, including:
An asthma attack can cause other physical symptoms, including lightheadedness or even fainting from lack of air.
Asthma attacks can start for many different reasons, but once you learn your particular triggers, it may be much easier to minimize them. The most common asthma triggers include:
If you’ve noticed asthma symptoms after exposure to any of these things, or you have asthma symptoms at other times, it’s important to see your Sterling Medical Center provider for testing as soon as possible.
Your Sterling Medical Center provider can do simple testing on-site to diagnose asthma. The most common test for asthma is spirometry, in which you inhale and exhale air into a device that measures the air flow. Your care team can combine these results with an exam and symptom descriptions to make an asthma diagnosis.
Although there’s not a permanent cure for asthma, there are many highly effective tools for asthma management. With your care provider’s help, you can greatly lessen the intensity and frequency of your asthma attacks.
Options for asthma treatments include breathing treatments either at home or in-office, oral medication like prednisone, and inhaled medications for both emergency and daily use. Often, a combination of these treatments works very well.
Use the online scheduler or call Sterling Medical Center for asthma help today.