Asthma

Asthma is a chronic condition that affects 1 in 10 Americans. It has become the most common cause for children to miss school and adults to miss work.

While there are many treatments available to help with this condition, at Elite Allergy and Asthma Clinic we are particularly well equipped to quickly and effectively eliminate your symptoms.

Girl using inhaler for allergy - asthma relief.

Our ELITE ALLERGY DROPS are the only way to go, if fast lifelong relief is what you’re looking for.

What is Asthma?

Elderly man holding his chest and coughing.

Asthma is a chronic condition that affects the airways of the lungs. When you breathe normally, your airways are relaxed, allowing you to move air in and out easily. During an asthma attack, however, a few different things can happen:

The muscles of your windpipe and lungs constrict causing your air passages to become smaller preventing air from flowing freely in and out of your lungs. The lining of your lungs can become swollen and produce more mucus which further compromises your ability to breathe. It can be terrifying and even life threatening when permitted to escalate.

What is the Incidence of Asthma in the United States?

The incidence of asthma has been increasing for decades and now afflicts 11% of our country's population. It's become a common reason for children to miss school and adults to miss work.

What are the Symptoms of Asthma?

Chest tightmess
Coughing, especially at night or early morning
Shortness of breath
Wheezing, which is a whistling sound when you exhale

What Causes Asthma?

The causes of asthma are still not completely understood but there are several factors that are known to play roles in its development including:

Family History
If you have a parent with asthma, you are three to six times more likely to develop asthma than someone who does not have a parent with asthma.

Allergies
Those with allergic conditions such as allergies or eczema are far more likely to get asthma. Allergies are, hands down, the biggest contributor in becoming asthmatic. You lose your allergies, and you will likely lose your asthma.

Obesity
Obesity increases the likelihood of becoming asthmatic and tends to make asthma worse and more difficult to control.

Smoking
Smoking irritates the airways making asthma more likely to occur and with more severity. Being born to a mother who smoked during pregnancy increases the risk of becoming asthmatic.

Occupational Exposures
Exposures to various contaminants, such as dust and fumes in the workplace, can worsen asthma.

Pollution
Chronic exposures to pollution, particularly ozone, by living in the inner city increases the risk for contracting asthma.

How is Asthma Diagnosed?

Man and woman meeting with Thomas Willim, PA-C

By performing a physical exam and asking a series of questions about your symptoms, family history, smoke and environmental exposures our allergist can conclude that you have asthma.

A breathing test, called spirometry, can provide important data to further support the diagnosis of asthma. Allergy testing, (either skin or blood) gives further evidence of the diagnosis.

How is Asthma Treated?

The treatment of asthma is tailored specific to the person and what is triggering their symptoms. It can require many different medications including:

Oral pills
A medication called Singulair (Generic name: Montelucast) is a pill that can help block the process that leads to asthma.

Inhalers
Inhalers can be helpful tools for keeping asthma under control. These medications are inhaled deeply into the lungs to relax the muscles of your airways, allowing you to take in more air. Others contain cortisone which can reduce the swelling of your airways. They may be prescribed for everyday use or only when asthma symptoms are present depending on your individual needs. These drugs can also be used in a machine called a nebulizer to help get the medication deeper into the airways. When nebulizer treatments or rescue inhalers are being used more than a couple times a week then it's time to contact us to begin allergy drops.

Steroids
The addition of oral or injectable steroids may be necessary to establish control of more advanced cases of asthma. Severe side effects make their long term usage undesirable.

Biologics
A newer group of medications referred to as biologics are utilized when other treatments have failed. These drugs target different cells in the body than the other medications. While they can be effective, they cost thousands of dollars a month and do not cure the problem.

Immunotherapy
Our ELITE ALLERGY DROPS (also referred to as Sublingual Immunotherapy or “Under the Tongue Allergy Drops”) are hands down the most effective method available for the treatment of asthma. When everything else has failed, they rarely disappoint.

Mother and child on trail bicycles on trail in the woods, smiling and having fun.

The drops directly address and permanently eliminate the underlying cause of the asthma at its source, instead of temporarily covering it up with medications. It accomplishes this by teaching the immune system to coexist with allergies instead of overreacting to them which is what typically triggers asthma.

The process involves the patient placing tiny doses of the very things they are allergic to under their tongue from a dropper bottle. This they administer in the convenience of their own home.

Within a few weeks the asthma begins to melt away, resolving completely within a few months, and being eliminated long-term after three years of treatment.

Our Allergist here at Elite Allergy and Asthma Clinic is the nation’s leading expert with this amazing technology, and has used them with great success for over 27 years, longer than any other American.

Call 480-999-2559 to make an appointment to put yourself on the path to great lung health.