Asthma
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112 GVR Medical P.C.
Ida Tetro, MD, DO
Board Certified Internal Medicine & Board-Certified Primary Care Physician located in Forest Hills, NY
With advancements in modern asthma treatments, you have plenty of options for effective asthma relief, so you can get back to doing the things you enjoy. At 112 GVR Medical P.C., Ida Tetro, MD, DO, and her team care for patients dealing with asthma at their state-of-the-art clinic, located in the Forest Hills neighborhood of Queens in New York City. To get expert care for your asthma symptoms, call the office or book an appointment online today.
Asthma Q & A
What causes asthma?
Asthma is a chronic condition that leads to the narrowing of your airways in your lungs due to swelling and overproduction of mucus. While it isn’t always known why some men and women develop asthma, medical experts believe that it’s likely a combination of genetics and environmental factors. You could even be prone to having asthma because of:
- Allergies or stress
- Respiratory infections
- Obesity or being overweight
- Smoking cigarettes
- Exposure to secondhand smoke or pollution
Sometimes breathing issues occur because of exercise-induced asthma. If you’re a distance runner, for instance, the strain on your respiratory system or frequent exposure to air pollution or irritants could leave you more susceptible to asthma attacks.
What are the symptoms of asthma?
Asthma symptoms vary, and each attack you experience could be different. Generally, the most common symptoms of asthma include:
- Chest pain or tightness
- Whistling or wheezing
- Shortness of breath
- Coughing attacks
In some cases, asthma is just an occasional nuisance sparked by known triggers. Without proper treatment and management though, the condition can progress and start lowering your quality of life.
How is asthma treated?
While no cure exists for asthma — it’s a chronic, lifelong condition — you can certainly prevent attacks and learn to manage it. Generally, the first step of your treatment plan involves going through allergy testing to determine if exposure to allergens is triggering your attacks. Dr. Tetro and her team offer allergy testing right in the clinic for environmental allergies. They can also check for other allergens through a blood draw and analyze the results.
Once Dr. Tetro determines which allergens (if any) are bothering you, she might start you on allergy medications. In many cases, you’re also probably going to need long-term asthma control medications to prevent or minimize the severity of attacks.
Dr. Tetro can even help you find an effective quick-relief inhaler to help open up your airways immediately when asthma symptoms start. While you’re probably going to need several types of medications or inhalers to help manage your case of asthma, Dr. Tetro and her team also strive to help you make lifestyle changes to decrease your risk of future severe attacks.
Before your next asthma attack occurs, learn what Dr. Tetro and her team can do for you. Schedule an appointment online or over the phone today.
