Asthma Education from Albany Allergy & Asthma Clinics of GA

FDA Approves New Biological for Severe Asthma

The US FDA has recently unanimously recommended Nucala (Mepolizumab) for add on maintenance treatment in patients 18 years older with severe eosinophilic asthma. The panel recommended against Nucala (mepolizumab) for children aged 12 to 17 years old. Severe eosinophilic asthma is defined as a blood eosinophil count greater than 150 cells/microliters at the start of treatment or greater than 300 anytime the past 12 months.

There are currently no approved treatments for patients with severe asthma with predefined eosinophil levels.

Using the Flow Chamber (adults)

Using the Flow Chamber Mask (kids)

Asthma Overview

Asthma is a chronic disease involving the airways in the lungs. These airways, or bronchial tubes, allow air to come in and out of the lungs.

If you have asthma your airways are always inflamed. They become even more swollen and the muscles around the airways can tighten when something triggers your symptoms. This makes it difficult for air to move in and out of the lungs, causing symptoms such as coughing, wheezing, shortness of breath and/or chest tightness.

For many asthma sufferers, timing of these symptoms is closely related to physical activity.

Asthma and Exercise: Tips to Remember

Do you cough, wheeze and have a tight chest or shortness of breath when you exercise?

If yes, you may have exercise-induced bronchoconstriction (EIB). This happens when the tubes that bring air into and out of your lungs narrow with exercise, causing symptoms of asthma.

An estimated 300 million people worldwide suffer from asthma, according to the World Health Organization, and strenuous exercise makes it worse for many people. Some people with EIB do not otherwise have asthma, and people with allergies may also have trouble breathing during exercise.

Asthma Triggers and Management: Tips to Remember

If you have asthma, the airways in your lungs are usually inflamed. During an asthma flare-up these airways get even more swollen, and the muscles around the airways can tighten. This can trigger wheezing, cough, chest tightness and shortness of breath.

An allergist / immunologist, often referred to as an allergist, has specialized expertise to clearly identify your asthma triggers and to develop a treatment plan that can minimize flare-ups and improve your quality of life.

Is Your Asthma Allergic?

Many of the symptoms of allergic and non-allergic asthma are the same but the triggers may be different.

Allergic asthma, or allergy-induced asthma, is the most common form of asthma. If your asthma is allergic, your symptoms are most often triggered by inhaling allergens. An allergen is a typically harmless substance such as dust mites, pet dander, pollen or mold.

Primary Immunodeficiency Disease

According to the leading experts in immunology, when part of the immune system is either absent or not functioning properly, it can result in an immune deficiency disease. When the cause of this deficiency is hereditary or genetic, it is called a primary immunodeficiency disease (PIDD). Researchers have identified more than 150* different kinds of PIDD.

The immune system is composed of white blood cells. These cells are made in the bone marrow and travel through the bloodstream and lymph nodes. They protect and defend against attacks by "foreign" invaders such as germs, bacteria and fungi.

Allergy, Asthma & PIDD Videos

AAAAI experts talk about what they would do if faced with a particular problem concerning allergies, asthma or primary immunodeficiency disease (PIDD).

Watch these videos to get tips on how to better manage your condition.

Related Conditions

Some medical disorders have symptoms that mimic allergies or asthma. Some related conditions are extensions of allergic disease, and sometimes allergies or asthma can worsen symptoms of related diseases. The lack of an accurate diagnosis, treatment plan and coordinated care can leave you feeling miserable.

The specialty of allergy / immunology encompasses medical conditions from the very common to the very rare, spanning all age groups and involving numerous organ systems.

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