| Achoo! It's Asthma and Allergy Awareness Month
Tri-City Voice, May 15th, 2007
Clinic’s Services Can Help Alleviate
Respiratory Symptoms
Is your
asthma under control? According to Hoang
Trinh, M.D., Medical Director of
Nakamura Clinic,
Union City, if
you often find yourself using a rescue
medication - one prescribed for an acute
asthma attack - then your asthma may not
be well controlled.
"In my
experience, a lot of times patients are
using their rescue medications three or
more times a week when they should be
using it twice or less per week,” Dr.
Trinh says. "Once I put them on
appropriate treatment to control their
asthma, I find they’re much better off.”
During
Asthma and Allergy Awareness Month it’s
a good time to reevaluate your treatment
options if you suffer from asthma or
allergies that affect your daily living,
particularly during this time of year
when seasonal allergies can flare up.
What is
asthma?
Asthma is a disease of the
respiratory tract in which the airways
become inflamed, then constrict, and
eventually become lined with excessive
amounts of mucous, which leads to
difficulty breathing.
Much more
serious than just intermittent wheezing,
asthma can be deadly if it goes
undiagnosed or ignored. According to the
Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America
(AAFA), every day in this country:
- 40,000
people miss school or work due to
asthma.
- 30,000
people have an asthma attack.
- 5,000
people visit the emergency room due to
asthma.
- 1,000
people are admitted to the hospital due
to asthma.
- 11 people
die from asthma.
Asthma
affects as many as one out of four
Americans and has numerous triggers. Dr.
Trinh says asthma episodes can be
triggered by exposure to many common
environmental allergens, such as air
pollution, cigarette smoke, household
pet dander, mold, dust mites, grass and
pollen, as well as food products, such
as milk, peanuts or eggs. Other triggers
include industrial compounds,
infections, stress, physical exertion
and even some drugs, such as aspirin or
penicillin.
Indications that asthma is on the rise
"Asthma is one respiratory
illness that seems to becoming more and
more prevalent,” Dr. Trinh notes.
"Studies have linked asthma to air
quality experienced by children. One
study showed that kids living in high
ozone communities tend to develop asthma
at much higher rates than those in low
ozone communities. I’m seeing patients
of all ages suffering allergies or
asthma to various degrees almost on a
daily basis now, especially at this time
of year. With the high pollen count and
recent seasonal changes, patients are
more susceptible to asthma
exacerbations.”
Classic
symptoms of asthma, Dr. Trinh says, can
include shortness of breath, wheezing,
difficulty breathing and coughing
attacks. If you find yourself breathing
rapidly or feel chest tightness, that
also may indicate asthma.
The exact
causes of asthma are unknown, but Dr.
Trinh says several factors may
predispose people to developing the
condition.
"There is a
genetic component to asthma. If your
parents or siblings have it, you’re at
higher risk. Also, if you suffer from
eczema or atopic dermatitis, you’re more
likely to develop asthma. Another theory
is that it’s a disease of hygiene. It’s
thought that those with exposure to
regular allergens and bacteria soon
after birth are more likely to have an
immune system better able to fight off
infection. When this stimulus is
insufficient as it may be in modern
clean environments, asthma and allergic
diseases may develop. This hygiene
hypotheses may explain the increase in
asthma in more affluent populations.”
Early
intervention, better outcomes
Asthma, unfortunately, is
not a condition that resolves itself,
and Dr. Trinh urges parents who think
their child might have a respiratory
illness to seek treatment sooner rather
than later.
"With an
untreated asthma attack, the concern is
that a child, in particular, can
deteriorate quickly. Simple wheezing and
coughing spells can lead to
progressively worsening chest tightness
and shortness of breath where they can
turn blue from lack of oxygen, and go
into respiratory arrest and in severe
cases they can even die,” Dr. Trinh
warns. "Parents need to understand that
early treatment will lead to better
outcomes. This is a treatable illness.
By understanding triggers and treatment
options and becoming educated about the
disease, they have better outcomes.”
Treatable disease
Dr. Trinh stresses that
when properly diagnosed, asthma is a
very treatable illness. The treatment
options for asthma are typically divided
into two categories. The first group is
rescue medications, including inhaled
bronchodilators, which are used for
acute asthma attacks. The second
includes longer acting medications that
are preventive, such as inhaled steroids
or pills to control the asthma.
A person’s
treatment will depend on the severity of
their asthma, according to Dr. Trinh,
who adds that the most effective
treatment involves identifying a
patient’s triggers and limiting exposure
to them as well as understanding
medications and how and when to use
them.
"I want to
make sure that patients understand that
asthma is a serious respiratory illness
with good treatment options available
and that they just need to understand
what their triggers are and how to avoid
them to better manage their asthma,” he
says.
Beat
seasonal allergies!
Asthma is a certain type of
allergy, one that affects the lining of
a person’s respiratory tract. Other
types of allergies, such as seasonal
allergies that can worsen during this
time of year, often affect the eyes and
nose.
According
to Dr. Trinh, allergies are caused when
a person’s immune system reacts to
harmless substances it perceives as a
threat. This reaction can lead to
sneezing, watery eyes, stuffy or runny
nose, itching, swelling, a rash or hives
- or an acute asthma attack for asthma
sufferers.
For those
who find their daily lives interrupted
by the effects of asthma or other types
of seasonal allergies, Dr. Trinh
recommends talking to a health care
professional.
Nakamura
Clinic, Union City has several resources
that can help asthma and allergy
sufferers, including prescription
medications, which can allow people to
lessen the effects of allergies without
making them drowsy during the day.
"Many of
the new prescriptions drugs are more
effective, longer lasting, non-sedating
and only need to be taken once daily,
whereas many over-the-counter drugs can
cause drowsiness,” says Dr. Trinh.
"Especially with children, it’s
important that they are able to function
in school, which is difficult if they’re
miserable due to their allergy symptoms
or sleepy because of the side effects of
an over-the-counter drug.”
Health
care services close to home
Nakamura Clinic, Union
City, located at 33077 Alvarado-Niles
Road in Union City, is a full-service
primary care and urgent care health care
clinic. For an appointment, call (510)
487-6000. To see a complete list of
services, visit Washington Hospital
Healthcare System’s Web site at
www.whhs.com,
click on "Our Facilities,” select
"Washington Hospital Clinics” and choose
"Nakamura Clinic, Union City.”
Washington
Hospital also offers free quarterly
community education classes focused on a
variety of health topics. To see a list
of upcoming classes, call (800) 963-7070
for a free copy of the Health & Wellness
Catalog or visit the Web site, click on
"For Our Community” and select "Health
Classes & Support Groups” from the
drop-down menu.
Tips
and Tricks for Allergy and Asthma
Sufferers
In addition to medications,
Nakamura Clinic, Union City Medical
Director Hoang Trinh, M.D. suggests
allergy and asthma sufferers take these
steps to reduce symptoms:
- Shower or bathe before bedtime
to wash off any allergens
-
Avoid going outside on dry or windy
days
-
Keep windows of your home and car
shut and use air conditioning when
possible
-
Remove certain houseplants that may
cause allergic reactions
-
Clean shower curtains regularly
-
Reduce the humidity of the house
-
Use
a mixture of water and bleach to
kill mold
-
Air
out the house to prevent mold growth
-
Keep pets outside or bathe them on a
weekly basis
-
Use
HEPA (high efficiency particulate
air) filters and vacuum often
-
Avoid cigarette smoke
-
Wash bedding often to prevent
accumulation of dust mites
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