ABClatino-Hablemos de Salud Year 2 Volume 20 | Page 3

L e t ' s T a l k H e a l t h

Asthma

Asthma is a chronic lung disease that affects 26 million of Americans, of those 20 million are adults and 6 million are children. It is estimated that 1 in 12 people have Asthma.

Asthma symptoms include; dry cough, wheezing, shortness of breath, chest tightness, chest pressure.

They are several conditions that may mimic Asthma, such as foreign body aspiration, GERD, obesity. In children cystic Fibrosis, Bronchiectasis and Vocal Cord Dysfunction, may cause wheezing. In Adults, COPD and Congestive Heart Failure may cause similar symptoms as well

When treating asthma, your medical provider, will discuss with you:

1)Avoidance of triggers: such as smoking, cold air, smoke, allergens, dust, fumes.

2)Treatment with medications, depending the severity of your symptoms and your spectrometry results

The cause of Asthma is unknown, it is more common in families with history of eczema, atopic dermatitis and Asthma. Symptoms may be triggered by environmental factors, such as smoking, second-hand smoking, allergens, pollutants and viruses.

Eunice Hoolihan, MD

Family Medicine

Health Quest Medical Practice