Asthma Specialist

Why do I have asthma?

Medical experts aren’t exactly clear on why some children and adults have higher chances of developing asthma than others. But it’s believed if it runs in your family, you have a higher risk of living with asthma. Your case of asthma can also be linked to:

• Excess body weight or obesity
• Chronic respiratory infections
• Having allergies
• Frequent exposure to fumes or pollution
• Smoking or exposure to secondhand smoke

While you can’t cure asthma, the condition can certainly be managed so you can live a long, healthy life. 

What are the symptoms of asthma?

Asthma can vary in frequency and severity, from an occasional episode of wheezing when you’re exercising to attacks that are so frequent, they lower your quality of life. In either case, you shouldn’t have to live another day experiencing difficulty breathing. When you have asthma, you may experience:

• Coughing
• Chest tightness
• Shortness of breath
• Difficulty sleeping due to breathing abnormalities

Because asthma leads to excess mucus production and constricting of your airways due to inflammation, it’s important to build a relationship with a practitioner who can help you manage the condition. The expert medical team of allergists at Clear Allergy can help. 

How is asthma diagnosed?

If you’re struggling to breathe, an accurate diagnosis is important to protect your health. Dr. Marks-Cogan offers in-office diagnostic testing to confirm asthma or to rule out underlying medical issues that can cause similar symptoms.

Testing for asthma may include pulmonary function testing, which shows how well your lungs are functioning. This noninvasive test requires you to breathe into a device that measures how much air you inhale and exhale while you breathe. They also offer FeNO testing (also known as nitric oxide testing) to determine how much lung inflammation is present. 

A peak flow meter is another noninvasive test that measures your ability to force the air out of your lungs.

What treatments are available for asthma?

Treating asthma depends on the severity of your symptoms and what triggers your breathing difficulties. Dr. Marks-Cogan creates a custom treatment plan just for you. 

Quick-relief inhalers are used to treat acute asthma attacks, and sometimes the medicines are delivered via a nebulizer, which changes it into a mist that you inhale. 

Your treatment plan may include subcutaneous immunotherapy to address the root cause of allergy-triggered asthma. Immunotherapy exposes your body to small amounts of allergen through a series of injections over a period of time. This repeated exposure reduces your body’s overreaction to a specific allergen, providing long-term relief of allergy symptoms, including asthma-related breathing difficulties.

The doctors also offer sublingual (under the tongue) tablets and drops, as well as other medications. Steroid inhalers may be used daily for improved long-term control of symptoms. 

Another option for treating moderate-to-severe asthma is the use of biologics, medications made of natural substances rather than chemicals. These medications are given through in-office injections, and they disrupt the pathways that lead to inflammation in the airways that can lead to asthma attacks. Examples of biologics include: Xolair®, Dupixent®, Nucala®, Fasenra™, and Cinqair®.

If you struggle to breathe due to asthma, don’t delay treatment. You can schedule a consultation at Clear Allergy by calling the office or requesting an appointment online today.