How Asthma is Dangerous during Cold and Flu Season

With cold and flu season on the rise, the physicians at Phoenix Family Medical, your Phoenix walk-in clinic, recognize that those suffering from asthma may be finding it even more difficult to breathe. Even a simple cold can trigger an asthma attack, and our dry weather and dusty air certainly don’t make it easier for asthma patients to breathe.

For those who do not know what asthma is, it is a potentially fatal lung condition that constricts the airways from inflammation and extra mucus production, according to the American Lung Association. It often presents with wheezy breathing and consistent coughing, and flare-ups of the disease will cause shortness of breath and tightness within your chest.

It is also a chronic condition, which means it is a life-long disease; and while there are medications to control it, asthma does not have a complete cure. There are many potential triggers that cause a person to contract asthma, ranging from family history, smoking, allergies to even potential environmental factors.

Doctors who suspect an individual is having an asthma attack will measure their breathing through a variety of tests, including a spirometry test that measures how much air the patient is able to blow out, and how fast. Those with asthma often undergo allergy testing to see if certain allergies are triggers for the lung condition.

Once it is clear an individual has asthma, depending on the severity of the condition, they will often be introduced to different types of inhalers including the following:

Bronchodilator is an inhaler that delivers a muscle relaxer to calm the muscles surrounding an individual’s breathing tubes and lessen the constriction that can occur during an asthma attack

Bronchodilators come in two forms: short and long acting, with the most commonly used type being the short-acting one for quick relief

Anti-inflammatory inhalers often contain corticosteroids or other steroids to help reduce swelling within the breathing tubes

If an individual is prescribed a long-acting bronchodilator, they will often pair it with an anti-inflammatory inhaler

Asthma patients also need to be quick to get any flu and pneumonia shots since these viruses or related infections can be life threatening, as they will also influence increased mucus production and potential airflow constriction. If you suspect that you have asthma, take the time to visit a physician.

As an Arizona family practice, your health is important to us. Please come in for a wellness consultation, and we will discuss your options for asthma relief. You can book an appointment online right on our website or call us at 602.773.5600 to arrange an appointment at any of our four valley-wide locations!

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