Asthma/COPD Specialist

What is asthma?

Asthma is a common lung disease that affects your ability to breathe. When you have an asthma attack, the airways to your lungs become inflamed and grow narrow. These changes make it difficult to breathe and reduce oxygen flow to your lungs.

Asthma symptoms can range from mild to severe and often include:

• Tightness in the chest
• Coughing or wheezing
• Shortness of breath

This condition is often mistaken for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) because they have similar symptoms. Approximately 40% of men and women with COPD also have asthma, and having asthma can increase your chances of developing COPD.

What is COPD?

COPD is a term that describes several progressive lung diseases, including:

• Chronic bronchitis
• Emphysema
• Refractory asthma, or severe and difficult to control asthma
• Some forms of bronchiectasis

COPD develops as a result of lung damage. The most common cause is smoking, but you can also sustain lung damage through exposure to lung irritants like pollution, gases, or fumes. In extremely rare cases, COPD is due to the genetic disorder alpha-1-antitrypsin (AAT) deficiency.

What are the symptoms of COPD?

COPD can cause a variety of symptoms, such as:

• Frequent coughing
• Chest tightness
• Fatigue, especially during activity
• Shortness of breath or wheezing

When COPD occurs, it causes your lung function to decrease over time, making it more and more difficult to breathe. COPD can cause permanent lung damage as it progresses.

How are asthma and COPD treated?

There’s no cure for asthma or COPD, but Dr. Olawumi O. Ayo Akatue or Dr. Richmond A. Akatue can work closely with you to manage your specific lung disorder to reduce your risk of permanent damage.

To treat asthma, your doctor typically recommends a variety of strategies that include both quick-relief and long-term medications as well as lifestyle changes to reduce your symptoms and attack frequency. They might also recommend nebulizer treatments, which change liquid asthma medication into a fine mist that’s easier to inhale deep into your lungs.

COPD treatments often include long-term medications to ease your symptoms, short-term medications that control flare-ups, and supportive therapies like supplemental oxygen. Your doctor might also recommend special breathing techniques and controlled coughing exercises to help manage your symptoms.

To learn more about asthma and COPD management, call Cornerstone Medical Associates, or schedule an appointment online today.