MANAGING ASTHMA

If you’ve just been diagnosed with asthma or you have recently been experiencing symptom flare-ups, you’ll be relieved to know proper management of your condition is within your reach.

“The majority of people with asthma [can] lead a normal and symptom-free life as long as their condition is managed properly,” says David Rosenstreich, MD, chief of the division of allergy and immunology at the Montefiore Medical Center in the Bronx, NY. “Patients should not be satisfied with being symptomatic.”
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See a specialist
One of the best ways to ensure you receive proper care is to see an asthma specialist.

“You should see a specialist if you are experiencing more than occasional wheezing, chronic cough [for more than] six weeks, shortness of breath, an inability to exercise, or if you’re waking up at night with problems breathing,” says Mike Kaliner, MD, medical director at the Institute for Allergy & Asthma, and clinical professor of medicine at the George Washington University School of Medicine in Washington, DC.

A specialist, either an allergist or pulmonologist, can address underlying problems associated with asthma such as allergies, sinusitis or obesity. They can also see if you might have other co-existing conditions that impact your breathing, such as snoring, obstructive sleep apnea, or gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), also called acid reflux.

Making sure that potentially related or co-existing conditions are properly treated helps your doctor to prescribe the appropriate amount of asthma medication.

Unfortunately, some asthma medications might cause weight gain, namely oral corticosteroids. “However, enough drug options exist that if you are trying to drop extra pounds, you should be able to treat your asthma without having to contend with this side effect,” says Dr. Rosenstreich.

Improve your environment
In addition to seeing a specialist, you can also make some changes to your environment to reduce asthma triggers.

For example, sleeping in an allergen-free bedroom, without water leaks, mold spore contamination or items that collect dust such as rugs or heavy drapes, should help. Making sure your bedroom is free of dust mites can also help you breathe freely, as can addressing any cockroach problems you might have. (For more information on environmental triggers, see Asthma 101.)

If you have cat or dog allergies, keeping pets out of the bedroom and using a HEPA filter can deter asthma symptoms.

Avoiding cigarette smoke and not spending much time outside on days when pollution or pollen levels are high can also help you to avoid as asthma episode.

Lose weight
Losing weight can also help reduce your asthma symptoms. While the relationship between asthma and weight is not completely understood, more weight on your chest may make it harder for it to expand and create difficulty breathing.

In addition to following a healthy diet to shed pounds, you may want to limit or avoid manufactured foods that contain a lot of artificial color or preservatives, which can make food allergy symptoms and, in turn, asthma worse.

Exercise can also be a part of your weight-loss plan as long as you manage your asthma to avoid a flare-up. If you’re obese, have asthma and want to start exercising, be sure to see an asthma specialist, who will check how well your lungs are working with a spirometer, determine what treatment you might need and what level of physical activity is best for you.

Usually asthma patients are able to exercise without a flare-up if they use a prescribed quick-relief bronchodilator 10 to 15 minutes before physical activity.

Once you have the right treatment, “you can exercise to your limits, but you don't want to start off running a marathon,” says Dr. Rosenstreich.

The American Council on Exercise recommends walking or swimming for people with asthma because these activities are low intensity. Running and higher-intensity sports may need to be taken on gradually.

“With asthma you get a warning that you're exceeding your capacity,” said Dr. Rosenstreich. “If your chest gets tight and you start to cough, you should stop.”

Whatever exercise you and your doctor decide is safe, spending about 10 to 15 minutes warming up before physical activity and cooling down afterward can help you avoid asthma flare-ups. So can listening to your body and resting when you need to.

As you lose weight and your exercise tolerance increases, you should start noticing a reduction in asthma symptoms and will be on your way to a healthier you.