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Asthma Specialist

Silverstein Medical

Primary Care Practice located in Havre De Grace, MD

There are few things more upsetting than an inability to breathe deeply and freely. Feeling like you can’t breathe for a few moments is scary enough, but living with asthma means that these attacks occur frequently and without warning. At Silverstein Medical, Louis Silverstein, MD, and his team understand how hard it can be to live with asthma and can help you relieve your symptoms in the short-term and long-term. Call the office in Havre de Grace, Maryland, today or make an appointment online.

Asthma

What is asthma?

Asthma is a condition that causes your airways to narrow, swell, and produce extra mucus. People with asthma often have difficulty breathing, and may also experience coughing, wheezing, or tightness and pain in their chest.

Asthma can vary in severity; for some people, it’s just an annoying problem, but for others, it can be dangerous and even life-threatening. Asthma is not a curable condition, but with treatment, you can control your symptoms and keep asthma from interfering with your normal day-to-day life.

However, asthma can change and develop over time, so it’s important to see Dr. Silverstein at Silverstein Medical regularly and work with him to manage your asthma.

How do I know if I have asthma?

Asthma has different symptoms in different people. Some people have asthma attacks infrequently, or only after periods of exercise, but many people experience their symptoms almost constantly.

Signs of asthma include:

  • Shortness of breath
  • Pain or tightness in your chest
  • Wheezing, coughing, or shortness of breath that keeps you up at night
  • A whistling or wheezing sound when you breath
  • Coughing or wheezing attacks that get worse when you have a respiratory virus, like the cold or flu

Some of the main types of asthma include exercise-induced asthma, as well as occupational and allergy-induced asthma, which are made worse by irritants in the air around you.

How do I manage my asthma?

Asthma requires lifelong treatment to manage, but what this treatment involves can vary from person to person just like your symptoms can. Dr. Silverstein looks at every available option to determine what’s best for each patient, and Silverstein Medical can provide a variety of long-term measures that will reduce how often your airways begin to swell, including inhaled corticosteroids. These drugs form the basis of asthma treatment, and when taken correctly, they are the most effective way to reduce asthma attacks.

There are also short-term options that you can use if you’re having an asthma attack, like short-acting beta agonists, ipratropium, and other inhalers. These medications will ease the acute symptoms of an unexpected asthma flare-up.

Allergy medications can also be helpful in avoiding allergy-induced asthma, especially treatments involving immunotherapy.

If you’d like treatment for your asthma, or if you have any questions, call Silverstein Medical or make an appointment online.