Is Asthma Reversible?

There is a reason why asthma is scary — it affects the airways, making it difficult to breathe. It’s also a chronic condition that can strike at any age.

But you don’t have to let asthma hold you back. Instead, let our experts at Allergy, Asthma, & Immunology Associates help.

Asthma may not be a reversible condition, but our team can get your symptoms under control, and even make remission possible. Here’s what you can do to find relief moving forward.

Understanding asthma

In a perfect world, you could take a pill for asthma and cure the problem once and for all. Unfortunately, that isn’t an option for this complex lung disease.

When asthma strikes, it causes three specific changes in the body, including:

• Muscle tightening around the airways
• Swelling of the airway lining
• Increased mucus production

Together, these changes narrow and clog the airways, restricting air passage in and out of the lungs. That’s when those telltale asthma symptoms arise, like wheezing, coughing, or shortness of breath, and pressure, pain, or tightness in the chest.

For most people, these symptoms come and go in cycles. With the right care, they can lessen or disappear entirely — a period known as remission.

That’s how working with an expert can help.

Getting to the bottom of your asthma symptoms

Unlike other lifelong conditions, asthma isn’t present from birth. Instead, it develops for a variety of reasons, like genetics, environmental factors, respiratory infections, and allergies.

Once a person has asthma, several things can trigger an attack, such as:

• Exercise, especially in cold, dry air
• Allergens, like pollen, dust, mold, and animal dander
• Pests, like cockroaches and mice
• Workplace irritants, like chemicals, cleaning products, and wood dust
• Tobacco smoke or strong odors
• Cold air
• Stress and anxiety
• Respiratory infections and sinus infections
• Certain medicines

Whether you have occasional asthma attacks or daily flare-ups, our experts can help get to the bottom of your asthma triggers and develop an effective management strategy.

Living with asthma

It can be disappointing to learn there’s no way to reverse a condition like asthma. Fortunately, with our help, remission is entirely possible.

This is how remission looks when you have asthma:

• Better sleep
• No asthma attacks or hospital visits
• Fewer doctor visits for symptoms
• Improved lung function tests
• Reduced need for inhalers and other quick-relief medications
• At least 12 months without significant symptoms
• The ability to engage in moderate to intense physical activity

And we can make all of this a reality.

It starts with a comprehensive evaluation. Then, we create a personalized plan to manage your symptoms. For instance, if you have allergies, we could recommend medications or immunotherapy to get your symptoms under control.

Additional management strategies for asthma often include taking prescription medications as directed, avoiding known triggers when possible, and quitting smoking.

At the end of the day, you may not be able to get rid of asthma entirely. However, you can make it easier to live with and prevent flare-ups.

Do you have asthma? Contact Allergy, Asthma, & Immunology Associates by phone or online to schedule an assessment at our Tampa or Brandon, Florida, location today.