MD4Lungs.com - Yatin J. Patel, MD MBA

Sneeze & Snooze Clinic

Yatin J. Patel, MD MBA
Deborah Ponce, NP-C
2417 S. Berkshire Drive
Goshen, IN 46526

Phone 574.534.9911 Fax 574.534.6915

Asthma Treatment Goals:

No symptoms or minor symptoms of asthma (symptoms include wheezing, coughing, shortness of breath, and chest tightness)

Sleeping through the night without asthma symptoms

No time off Eom school or work due to asthma

Full participation in physical activities

No emergency room visits or stays in the hospital

Little or no side effects from asthma medicine Do not accept having symptoms as normal.

Tell your doctor which goals you are meeting and which you are not. DO this at every visit. All these goals can be met with long-term treatment. You need to work with your doctor to achieve every goal.

If you are not meeting a goal, your treatment may simply need to be changed. Your doctor may ask for help from a specialist to achieve your goals. Ask about this.

Goal: No time off from work or school due to asthma.

How Your Asthma Can Be Controlled

Asthma is a chronic disease. It can be controlled with proper, long-term treatment. But it cannot be cured.

People with asthma have --

Airways that react to certain things called triggers -- things like smoke or dust o Airways that sometimes become narrow and blocked. This causes wheezing, coughing, or trouble breathing

Airways that become inflamed and swollen. Each of these features of asthma can be prevented or treated by:

Staying away from your triggers or controlling them

Taking medicine that opens your airways

Getting treatment for the inflammation Treating inflammation is very important in the control of moderate to severe asthma.

This may mean the daily use of such medicines as cromolyn sodium or inhaled steroids. Both of these medicines are safe to take.