Treating Your Asthma

Treating Your Asthma

Is your asthma under control? Wheezing, coughing and tightness in your chest may mean that your asthma treatment needs some fine-tuning. A visit to Our Olympia Fields, IL, Crown Point and Munster, IN, otolaryngologist Dr. Arthur Katz can help improve your breathing and your comfort.

What symptoms should I be concerned about?

Asthma affects the airways in your lungs, causing them to swell, narrow and produce more mucus than normal. These changes make your lung work harder and cause breathing difficulties. Symptoms of asthma may include:

  • Coughing
  • Wheezing
  • Shortness of Breath
  • Chest Pain or Tightness
  • Pain in Your Upper Back or Shoulders
  • Fatigue
  • Trouble Sleeping

How is asthma treated?

Your Munster, Crown Point or Olympia ear, nose and throat doctor may recommend one or more of these treatments:

  • Short-Acting Bronchodilator Inhaler: Commonly called “rescue” inhalers, short-acting bronchodilators provide fast-acting relief of asthma symptoms. The inhalers improve your breathing for a few hours and are used if you experience a sudden flareup of your symptoms.
  • Long-Acting Bronchodilator Inhaler: Long-acting inhalers relax and open your airways and work for 12 hours. You’ll use them twice a day to keep your symptoms under control.
  • Oral Asthma Medication: These pills also provide long-acting relief for asthma symptoms and are taken once a day.
  • Medications for Underlying Conditions: If allergies or gastroesophageal reflux disorder (GERD) symptoms trigger your asthma symptoms, you may benefit by taking medications to control these conditions. Allergy shots may be recommended in some cases. The shots decrease your sensitivity to allergens and gradually reduce allergy symptoms.
  • Flu and Pneumonia Vaccinations: It can be much more difficult to recover from the flu or pneumonia when you have asthma. A yearly flu shot is a very good idea if you've been diagnosed with asthma. The pneumonia shot provides protection from multiple types of pneumonia bacteria and is recommended for everyone 65 and older and adults ages 18 to 65 who have asthma or other respiratory diseases.

Regular visits to Dr. Katz can help you manage your asthma symptoms. Schedule an appointment with him by calling (219) 934-9396 for the Munster, IN, office, (219) 769-8441 for the Crown Point, IN, office, or (708) 747-6900 for the Olympia Fields, IL, office.