How your primary care doctors in Brandon, FL, can help you manage your asthma
Living with asthma can be challenging. You may not want to exercise or go outside, fearing an asthma attack. You don’t have to live in fear. You can live your best life, even with asthma. Your primary care doctors can help.
Drs. Joel and Elizabeth Biggers at Biggers Family Medicine in Brandon, FL, provide a wide range of family medical services, including asthma diagnosis and treatment.
An asthma attack can be uncomfortable and scary. You may experience:
- Severe wheezing and coughing
- Difficulty breathing, especially when you are active
- Tightness, pressure, and pain in your chest
Asthma often goes together with allergies, so your primary care physician may recommend allergy testing to determine what you are allergic to. Then you can take steps to avoid the substances which trigger your allergies. It may be helpful to:
- Keep doors and windows closed during spring and summer
- Keep pets off furniture and out of your bedroom
- Vacuum and dust frequently
- Use hypoallergenic sheets and linens and wash them regularly
- Place a HEPA filter in your bedroom
- Consider installing solid surface flooring instead of carpet
- Take decongestants and antihistamines when you go outside
Your primary care physician may also recommend these treatments to control allergy symptoms:
- Allergy injections
- Sublingual immunotherapy
Your primary care physician can help you form an asthma action plan, so you know just what to do when an asthma attack occurs. Medications are a cornerstone of asthma treatment, so you need to keep your asthma medications with you.
Common asthma medications include:
- Rescue inhalers for sudden allergy attacks
- Long-term asthma medications to provide constant protection from an asthma attack
Remember that a severe asthma attack can be life-threatening. You need to contact emergency services if you experience:
- Sudden, severe gasping for breath
- Deep, labored breathing
- An inability to speak because you can’t breathe
You don’t have to let asthma take over your life. To find out more about how to manage and live with asthma, call Drs. Joel and Elizabeth Biggers at Biggers Family Medicine in Brandon, FL. You can reach them in the office by calling (813) 655-4646, so call now.