25-07-2025
Improve Asthma by Targeting Common Triggers
This transcript has been edited for clarity.
Asthma is a disease that affects 20% of the American population. This means that 20% of people wake up with shortness of breath, wheezing, or tightness in their chest, which is extremely uncomfortable.
Common triggers that we can modify to help these patients include GERD (gastroesophageal reflux disease), which is the most common. Acid reflux can backflow into the lungs causing bronchoconstriction, shortness of breath, and wheezing, especially when someone is laying down. Treating GERD with diet modification and sometimes Pepcid or Protonix can be beneficial.
Other triggers that we look for include postnasal drip or allergies. Allergies and postnasal drip can significantly impact asthma by once again leading to bronchoconstriction through mucus congestion, causing more buildup within the lungs and the smaller airways that can cause decreased breathing and shortness of breath. By treating them with Singulair — montelukast over the counter — Allegra, or even Flonase for nasal symptoms and sinus symptoms, this can significantly impact and decrease shortness of breath.
The last trigger that we do look at is weight associated with obstructive sleep apnea. Sleep apnea can increase CO 2 within the body as ventilation decreases, and this can also lead to wheezing, shortness of breath, and increase asthma symptoms. Weight can significantly impact a patient's ability to inhale and exhale that can then, once again, induce asthmatic symptoms.
