Asthma Specialist
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Allergy & Asthma Affiliates
Srinagesh Paluvoi, MD
Allergist & Immunologist located in Lansdowne, VA & Gainesville, VA
Most patients think of asthma as a childhood disease, but it can first appear at any age, affecting about 8% of all children and adults. At Allergy & Asthma Affiliates, Srinagesh Paluvoi, MD, FAAP, FACAAI, provides comprehensive asthma care for patients of all ages. Dr. Paluvoi helps identify your triggers and creates a customized treatment plan to help prevent future asthma flare-ups. If you need help with asthma, call one of the offices in Lansdowne and Gainesville, Virginia, or schedule an appointment online.
Asthma
What causes asthma?
Asthma develops when the airways in your lungs become inflamed. As a result, three changes occur:
- Airways become swollen
- Muscles lining the airway tighten
- Mucus production increases
These changes work together to narrow the airways, making it hard to breathe and triggering asthma symptoms. Once you develop asthma, your airways stay chronically inflamed. For a period of time, the inflammation may be minor, so you won’t have symptoms. But the airways remain susceptible to irritants that immediately worsen the inflammation and trigger an asthma attack.
What symptoms will I experience due to asthma?
Patients with asthma experience one or more of these symptoms:
- Shortness of breath
- Chest pain or a feeling of tightness
- Wheezing
- Coughing
All types of asthma can cause a cough. However, one type called cough variant asthma is known for having just one symptom: a dry, chronic cough.
What triggers asthma?
A trigger is any substance that irritates your lungs and causes an asthma attack or flare-up. If you have allergies, your allergens may cause asthma attacks. Pollen, dust mites, mold, and pet dander are a few of the allergens that frequently trigger asthma.
This list shows some of the most common nonallergic triggers:
- Cold air
- Air pollution
- Tobacco smoke
- Chemical fumes
- Potent odors such as perfume
- Upper respiratory infections
- Strong emotions, including stress
You may also find that physical activity triggers your asthma. Dr. Paluvoi helps you overcome this problem and stay active with medication.
How is asthma treated?
Dr. Paluvoi takes a multi-faceted approach to treating your asthma:
Plan to avoid triggers
Dr. Paluvoi helps you identify your asthma triggers, then works with you to create a plan to avoid them. If he suspects your trigger is an allergy, he may recommend allergy testing, followed by immunotherapy. As allergy shots boost your tolerance to allergens, you’ll have fewer asthma attacks.
Quick-relief medication
Quick-relief medications are used at the start of or during an asthma flare-up. The medication is inside a nebulizer that converts the drug into a mist. As you inhale the mist, it quickly opens your airways and relieves your asthma symptoms.
Long-term medications
Dr. Paluvoi may also prescribe a medication that you’ll take each day to reduce lung inflammation and prevent future asthma attacks.
If you suffer from asthma, expert help is available at Allergy & Asthma Affiliates. Call or schedule an appointment online today.
