Asthma Care & Treatment

What We Treat

Clancy Medical Group provides asthma testing and counseling. We also offer tools and training to help you manage your asthma. If you receive an asthma diagnosis, we help you design an asthma action plan to help you control your condition and handle emergency situations. Asthma control works to reduce your symptoms and limitations, as well as the risk of future asthma attacks and declining lung function.

Together, we look at medication, environment factors contributing to your symptoms, teach you the skills to manage your condition, and monitor your progress. As you learn to control your asthma, you lessen and even eliminate symptoms like coughing and wheezing. In addition, you sleep better and are better able to take part in physical activities.

Important Asthma Facts

Asthma causes the sides of your airways to swell, narrowing the passages that carry air into the lungs. When asthma sufferers experience triggers like smoke, pollution, and allergens, it often causes an asthma attack. During an asthma attack, you may experience coughing, a tight feeling in your chest, or difficulty breathing.

According to the CDC, around 24 million Americans currently have asthma. Though more than twice as many adults as children have this chronic disease, it is more common among children, with 8.6 percent of children having the illness, and 7.4 percent of adults.

Approximately 10 people die from asthma each day, 65 percent of them women. Around half of these deaths are people over age 65. The good news is that deaths due to asthma have decreased by 26 percent since 1999.

Why Should I Choose Clancy Medical Group for Asthma Care?

Clancy Medical Group’s holistic approach to medicine is especially important in asthma care. This is because treating asthma requires a well-rounded approach that involves the patient monitoring and managing his or her condition, and we support you each step of the way. We work with you to implement sustainable lifestyle changes to help manage your symptoms.

Asthma Frequently Asked Questions

How can I tell if I have asthma?

Only a doctor can tell for sure if you have asthma. Your examination includes a patient history, during which your doctor asks questions, such as:

• Do you have a frequent cough, especially at night?
• Do you experience trouble breathing after physical activity?
• Does the weather affect your ability to breathe?
• Do you experience tightness in your chest?
• Do you frequently wheeze?
• Do you have colds or coughs lasting longer than 10 days?
• Does anyone in your family have asthma or other breathing problems?

For patients over the age of 5, the doctor uses a spirometer to conduct a breathing test and determine how well your lungs work.

What is an asthma attack?

An asthma attack occurs after a narrowing of the air passages, which is caused by a combination of the sides of the airways swelling, which then fill up with mucous. As a result, less oxygen enters your lungs, and you may experience a tightness in the chest, wheezing, coughing, and trouble breathing.

What causes an asthma attack?

Asthma triggers differ for everyone (determining yours is part of learning how to control your condition). Common triggers, though, include dust mites, tobacco smoke, air pollution, allergens, pet hair, mold, and extreme temperatures. When you are unable to avoid these triggers, be prepared for an asthma attack.

How do you treat asthma?

Asthma treatments include medications and behavioral changes to control the condition. Medications come in two types: long-term control and quick relief of symptoms. Your long-term medications help reduce the number and severity of asthma attacks. Quick relief treatments, such as inhalers, control symptoms of an asthma attack as it happens.

Behavioral changes are those changes you make to reduce your risk of triggering an asthma attack. They range from minor activities such as cleaning methods to reduce dust and other inhalants, to fairly major changes, such as moving to an area with a different climate if weather causes your asthma attacks.

Is there a cure for asthma?

No. This is a chronic disease requiring daily monitoring of symptoms for some sufferers.

Can I play sport if I have asthma?

For most people, the answer is ‘yes,’ but speak to the doctor monitoring your condition to understand any precautions you must take. In case of an emergency, always make sure your asthma plan is up-to-date.