How to Avoid Asthma Attacks Video Transcript

Participants

, Chris Winslow MD

Summary

If you've ever experienced an asthma attack, you know how frustrating and unpleasant it can be. And since anything from strong perfume to extreme temperatures can trigger an attack, living with asthma can be a daily challenge. Fortunately, many attacks can be prevented once you've identified your personal triggers. Join Dr. Chris Winslow for some helpful tips on getting through your day attack-free.

Webcast Transcript

VAREN BLACK: Hi, I'm Varen Black. Our topic today is asthma prevention, and my guest is Dr. Chris Winslow, a pulmonologist and asthma specialist at Northwestern Memorial Hospital. Dr. Winslow, in simple terms, what is asthma?

CHRIS WINSLOW, MD: Asthma is a disorder in which there is a swelling in the tubes that line the lungs. This swelling is the result of an inflammation, and it makes the airways of a person's lungs much more sensitive to things that they may be exposed to in their environment.

VAREN BLACK: What are some of the symptoms of asthma?

CHRIS WINSLOW, MD: The symptoms can be cough, wheezing, and shortness of breath. Chest tightness is also a symptom that can be found in asthma.

VAREN BLACK: What causes asthma? Is there a genetic factor?

CHRIS WINSLOW, MD: Well, it's not really clear exactly what causes asthma. It is known that it is a genetic disease. Asthma tends to be transmitted in families and among family members. There's a likelihood to inherit the propensity to develop asthma, but likely it's that plus exposure to things in your environment which may be what actually bring the disorder to develop.

VAREN BLACK: Is it true that asthma has become more common in recent years, and if so, why?

CHRIS WINSLOW, MD: That is true, and it is something that people are intensely studying right now. Asthma is a disease of urbanization, and I think as we spend more time in closed environments and as we tend to live more in cities, we're finding that asthma is more prevalent.

VAREN BLACK: What about having infections as children? I guess you develop problems as you get older?

CHRIS WINSLOW, MD: There is some evidence to suggest that infections at particularly sensitive times in a child's life or in a child who has a predisposition for asthma may increase the likelihood that they will develop asthma symptoms later on.

VAREN BLACK: Any special vaccines out there to prevent asthma?

CHRIS WINSLOW, MD: No, there really aren't. This is a disorder that the cause of which is really unknown, so there are no vaccines that can prevent you from developing asthma.

VAREN BLACK: How do doctors figure out what triggers asthma attacks in a particular patient?

CHRIS WINSLOW, MD: The simplest way is to sit down and talk to that individual. People that have been having asthma symptoms may or may not be clued into factors in their environment that may be triggering asthma. Some may be fairly obvious to people, for example, exposure to cigarette smoke may cause someone to develop wheezing or chest tightness or coughing. That's fairly clear. Some people will develop asthma symptoms in response to allergens in the environment, so at various times of the year, in spring or fall, they may find they're developing more symptoms. So the best way to try and determine a particular trigger for your asthma is just to sit down with your doctor and start to talk about some of the symptoms that you have and some of the relationships between those symptoms and your environmental exposures.

VAREN BLACK: What about allergy testing? What is it, and how does it work?

CHRIS WINSLOW, MD: Allergy testing is a way to determine if elements in the environment are irritating for you, and it's possible, then, if you are allergic to these substances in the environment that they may be contributing to the development of asthma symptoms. There are commonly known allergens that doctors would expose you to by scratching your skin and putting a small drop of the substance, if the extract of the substance, on that scratch and seeing if you develop any swelling or inflammation. That can be a clue to your identifying some of the things that you may be allergic to.