Do I Have Asthma, or am I Just Out of Shape?

Can’t make it to a 10 count without gasping for air? It may not be an exercise routine that’s too difficult for you – it may be asthma, or exercise-induced bronchospasm (EIB) to be precise. How can your Phoenix asthma specialist tell the difference?

Diving into EIB:

One in 10 experience exercise-induced bronchospasm – when airway muscle spasms constrict airflow. This asthma-related coughing or shortness of breath typically occurs 5 to 10 minutes after exercise starts or ends. It is typically accompanied by wheezing, chest tightness, and fatigue, and may be more pronounced in cold, dry environments.

Drop and give me 20:

A  Phoenix asthma specialist can diagnose this condition with the help of breathing tests performed after exercise and while resting. They will also take a thorough medical history to identify other potential triggers, which can worsen this condition, such as air pollution, high pollen counts and respiratory infections.

Reaching your potential:

Luckily, a diagnosis of EIB doesn’t mean the end of exercise goals. A trained allergy and asthma doctor can help you reach new heights with lifestyle changes and proper treatment, including:

• Proper hydration.
• Effective warm-ups and cool-downs that will benefit your condition.
• The prescription of inhaled bronchodilators such as albuterol or formoterol before exercise as bronchospasm prevention or as needed for symptom relief.
• Identifying environmental triggers.
• Advice on new exercise routines or ways to minimize exposure to environmental triggers, such as wearing a scarf during cold weather, exercising in a climate-controlled environment, and more.

Tired of struggling through your exercise routine? Don’t throw in the towel – take it to the next level. Find a Phoenix asthma specialist near you today.

It’s a NEW YEAR!!! Time to quit suffering from allergies

The army of allergy sufferers in this world know how difficult it is to live with their symptoms throughout the year. Although there are spikes in various allergens within your local environment at different times of the year, leaving allergies untreated means you are often miserable. That's why it is important to trust your health to your Scottsdale Allergist at a local allergy or asthma clinic

Living with Allergies

This is a tall order for anyone who didn't grow up with allergies. At any time, your body can react to allergens. Sometimes, the symptoms get so severe that you don't want to get out of bed. Here are a few: headaches, shortness of breath, a feeling that your chest is swollen, clogged ears, a constant drip in the back of your throat, a scratchy feeling, swollen glands, blurry, itchy, and watery eyes, and constant fatigue.

Allergies have the power to affect your whole body. Oftentimes, it takes mind over body just to get through the day. And, if you have had allergies for any period of time, a daily antihistamine is not worth much more than a sugar pill. It only works on a good day when you believe in it. That's the placebo effect. The rest of the time, the antihistamine is worthless.

Long-term solutions to allergies, whether seasonal or year-round, come with time. Trust your care to a talented allergy and asthma specialist. Our doctors are caring people who want to review all of your medical history and treat you as a whole patient. There will be things that you need to do to adjust your diet and remove allergens from your home. The total effect of medical treatments and small lifestyle changes will be worth it. Without the effects of allergies, you will have more energy and start to enjoy life again.

Ask us how allergy relief begins. Our allergy doctors can help.

Why’s an Asthma Specialist so Special?

Family physicians and general practitioners are great for handling day-to-day health issues. But oxygen deficiency resulting from asthma symptoms can be serious business. That’s where a great asthma specialist can help. What makes them “special”? An asthma doctor is trained specially for taking care of patients dealing with asthma.

How much training does an asthma specialist have?
Your local Phoenix Allergy & Asthma Clinic asthma specialist has received a minimum of 9 years of training, as well as an additional two year fellowship focused on either allergic or lung diseases. Types of doctors that treat asthma include:

• Allergists/Immunologists
  Treat allergic diseases, including asthma.
  
• Pulmonologists
  Specialize in diseases effecting the lungs.

Why so much training?
Because asthma is serious business. It cannot be managed with a simple prescription such as with colds, flus, aches and pains. Asthma is a chronic disease, requiring constant monitoring and attention for effective management and prevention of dangerous asthma attacks.

What are the benefits of seeing an asthma specialist?

• Better management of symptoms.
• Reduced absences from work/school due to asthma symptoms.
• Less emergency room visits.
• Improved quality of life.

Do I need an asthma specialist?
If you’ve been trying to manage asthma for months without relief of symptoms, an asthma specialist may be better able to help you keep the condition under control. An asthma specialist is an especially good idea if you:

• Have been hospitalized for asthma symptoms due to the inability to control them.
• Have experienced life-threatening asthma attacks.
• Are suffering unusual asthma symptoms.
• Experience allergy-induced asthma symptoms.
• Have other health conditions.

Ready to start breathing easier? Find an asthma specialist near you today.

Asthma: Cure and treatment

 Asthma effects 25 million Americans, its incidence growing at an alarming rate. Controlling its symptoms can be a frustrating experience, leaving asthma suffers to feel lost as to the causes and frequency of attacks. What’s an asthma sufferer to do? Have a plan!

Know and avoid your triggers

Common triggers identified by your Phoenix Allergy and Asthma Clinic include:

• Colds
• Upper respiratory infections
• Cold weather
• Exercise
• Pet dander and other allergens
• Cigarette smoke and other pollutants effecting air quality
• Severe heartburn (including GERD - gastroesophageal reflux disease)

  

Fight flare-ups with the right medications

• Long term control
• Inhaled corticosteroids such as fluticasone, budesonide, mometasone and beclomethasone.
• Combination inhalers such as fluticasone-salmeterol, budesonide-formoterol and mometasone-formoterol.
• Leukotriene modifiers, such as montelukast .
• Theophylline
• Cromolyn
• And more (a quality asthma specialist will know which one is right for you)

• Quick relief:
• Bronchodilators delivered via inhaler or nebulizer.

• Immunotherapy:
• Allergy shots determined by allergy tests

  

Recognize the signs of impending attacks

These include an increased need for your rescue inhaler and increased frequency of asthma signs and problems:

• Shortness of breath/difficulty breathing
• Chest tightness/pain
• Whistling/wheezing sounds
• Difficulty sleeping due to breathing issues
• Coughing/wheezing worsened by cold and flu

  

Track it

Always track your asthma symptoms, including flare-ups and how asthma is effecting your normal activities. Note how well medications are managing symptoms, and side effects, making changes with the help of your asthma doctor as needed. The more quickly you act, the less likely severe attacks will occur, reducing your need for medication and emergency medical attention.

Know when to go

Seek emergency treatment when difficulty breathing rapidly worsens, asthma effects minimal physical activity (such as a trip to the bathroom), and symptoms do not improve with the help of your rescue inhaler.

6 Simple Tips for Reducing Fall Allergies

Your allergist in Avondale knows fall can be a miserable time for allergy sufferers. Why do fall allergies seem to wreak more havoc than in the spring? Cooler weather and changing foliage leading plants and weeds to release pollens, in addition to the additional punch of outdoor molds proliferating under fallen leaves.

Before ragweed and other fall allergens have you running to your allergist-immunologist, try implementing these simple, common sense tips for foiling fall allergies:

1. Plan ahead.
   Before you plan outdoor activities, check pollen counts, scheduling events for when pollen is at its lowest.
    
2. Take an antihistamine.
   Consult your allergist in Avondale to determine the best over the counter antihistamines to take before heading outdoors.
    
3. Reduce exposure.
   If you can’t skip outdoor activities, consider donning a mask and leaving tasks until the middle of the day when pollen is at its lowest. Avoid outdoor activities in the early morning hours
    
4. Stay clean.
   Your home – and your body. Wash off as soon as possible after spending time outside. When possible, change clothes before entering your home to prevent distributing allergens inside. Store shoes outside, and don’t hang clothes out to dry either.
    

Make sure air conditioning system is clean!
When allergy season is in full bloom, close your windows and let your heating and air system help you keep indoor air clear of allergens. Change your filter regularly, particularly during allergy season. To prevent the distribution of allergens throughout your home.  Also, investing in a HEPA air filter would be worthwhile! Don’t hide out in your home, manager allergies with ease this fall season. With these simple tips and the help of your immunologist, you too can get back to enjoying the great outdoors!

Allergy-Free Outdoor Living Yard in the Desert during Fall?

Desert fall brings a drop in temperatures but also brings fall allergies.  The weather becomes beautiful but asthma and allergy sufferers sometimes get cooped up indoors - and not able to enjoy the AZ outdoors like they so desperately look forward to after surviving 4 months of 100 degree temperatures.

Be the change, opting for hypoallergenic landscaping options that can help return you a great outdoors. Sound too good to be true? It’s not. Even reducing the allergenic plants in a single garden can make a difference for asthma clinic patrons and sufferers, reducing pollen levels and the spread of allergenic plants far and wide.

Allergy-proof your yard with these suggestions from a Scottsdale allergy doctor & specialist:

• Fruit trees
  With the exception of citrus flower fragrance, fruit trees are generally not allergenic or irritating.
• Bamboo and palms
  Bamboo and female date and fan palms offer a beautiful, drought-tolerant option for your yard.
• Succulents and Cacti
  The following do not produce wind-born pollen and are excellent low-water choices:
• Saguaro
• Peruvian Cereus
• Golden Barrel
• Hedgehog Cactus
• Rainbow Cactus
• Easter Lily
• Sea Urchin Cactus
• Prickly Pear
• Cholla
• Organ Pipe
• Vines
  Hypo-allergenic climbers include bougainvillea, queen’s wreath, trumpet creeper, passion flower, cat’s claw, and roses such as Lady Banks and Tombstone.
• Shrubs
  The University of Arizona’s offers an extensive list of shrubs which are both low-allergy and drought tolerant.
• Accent plants
  For accent planting, your allergy and asthma clinic suggests various yucca species, agave, and aloe, as well as sotol, desert spoon, ocotillo, and Mexican evening primrose are your friends.
• Brightly colored flowers
  Attracting bees, insects, and hummingbirds, these flowers are generally not allergenic:
• Annual: California poppy, Mexican gold poppy; desert and arroyo lupine.
• Perennial: assorted penstemons, chia, globe-mallow, and Peruvian and Goodding verbena.
• Ground cover
  Morning glory, trailing indigo bush, lantana, African daisy, and rosemary, in addition to ice plant, treasure flower, germander, and gazania offer great low-lying options.

Pediatric allergists suggest avoiding these highly allergenic landscaping choices:

• Olive trees
• Mesquite trees
• Juniper trees
• Nut trees
• Bermuda grass and most other grass species
• Triangle Leaf Bursage (Rabbit Bush)
• Desert Broom
• Privet

Ready to head out and get started on an allergy-free outdoor retreat? You’re sure to get the job done with your local allergy and asthma clinic and the University of Arizona Agricultural extension service. Start sowing the seeds of change today!
University of Arizona Health Sciences Center. Gardens Compatible with Respiratory Allergy in Southern and Central Arizona. http://allergy.peds.arizona.edu/southwest/lowpollen.html.
Dr. Aaron Davis, M.D. Cedar Fever is Coming to Town. Retrieved from: http://www.allergyasthmaaz.com/blog/.