Illness Archives » AllergySA

What is an Asthma Action Plan?

School is right around the corner so we want to make sure your kids with asthma will be safe.

If your child suffers from asthma, it is likely that you already have an Asthma Action Plan for them. If you don’t have one yet, don’t worry! We will show you what an Asthma Action Plan is, what it includes and how to manage it.

What is an Asthma Action Plan?

An asthma action plan is an individualized worksheet that helps you know whether your asthma is controlled and what medications to take. It also can help you know if you should call your doctor or go to the emergency room.

If you use the Asthma Action Plan worksheet properly, it can reduce visits to the doctor.

What does the Asthma Action Plan include?

The asthma action plan includes helpful tools such as:

A daily log of asthma triggers and symptoms
Identifying severity of asthma, normally by using 3 colors- green, yellow, and red (as go, caution, and danger)
What medication you should be taking and when and how often you should be taking it

An example of an asthma action plan looks like this:

Image: AAFA.org

Can I Manage Asthma Another Way?

The Asthma Action plan can be a great way to manage your child’s asthma on a daily basis, but it isn’t the only way.

Some other ways that you can manage asthma are avoiding your triggers, keeping your home clean and cool, and having an inhaler with you at all times (to learn how to properly use your inhaler, check out one of our providers, Erica Gomez’s video, ‘How To Use an Inhaler’).

AllergySA wants nothing more than to help you and your child’s quality of life. If you need assistance in creating the perfect asthma action plan, one of our board-certified providers can help you.

Call 210-616-0882 to schedule your appointment today

July 26, 2021/by Kayla Gomez

English, Health, Illness

What is Eosinophilic Asthma?

Eosinophils are a type of white blood cell in our body that helps fight off parasitic infections and cancers. They also play a role in allergic reactions. They make up a small fraction of our white blood cells, and the number of eosinophils in our blood can vary over time. If the number of eosinophils in your bloodstream or organs are elevated, you may have an eosinophil-associated disease.

Although many diseases are caused by an increasing number of eosinophils in your body, we will focus on what is, and the background behind eosinophilic asthma.

What is Eosinophilic Asthma (e-asthma)?

Eosinophilic asthma is a subtype of asthma that is normally seen in adults ranging from 35-50 years of age, although it can occur in children and young adults as well. If you have asthma, the number of eosinophils are high in your blood, lung tissue, or mucus and coughed up from your respiratory tract, you likely have e-asthma.

Unfortunately, the cause for e-asthma remains unknown. However, those with e-asthma do not usually have any disease-related allergies that provoke asthma symptoms. There are many ongoing clinical trials that center around therapies to control e-asthma symptoms.

Symptoms

Eosinophilic asthma has similar symptoms to classic asthma. However, the symptoms are more severe and constant. These include:

Shortness of breath
Wheezing
Coughing
Airflow obstruction
Chronic rhinitis with nasal polyps
Inflamed nasal mucous membrane

Diagnosis

If you have severe asthma, levels of eosinophils by analyzing your blood, sputum, saliva, or conducting a bronchial biopsy (tiny forceps passed through a channel of the bronchoscope into your lungs).

Treatments

Although e-asthma has been established for many years, there are now new treatments that can reduce eosinophils.

Biologic therapies that target eosinophils may be prescribed to treat eosinophilic asthma.

Biologics that are currently approved for use in the U.S. include the following

Benralizumab: antibody that binds Interleukin-5 (IL-5) receptors. 12 years and older
Dupilumab: Interleukin-4 (IL-4) and Interleukin-13 (IL-13) inhibitor and binds to the IL-4 alpha receptor. 12 years and older
Mepolizumab: an antibody that recognizes and blocks Interleukin-5 (IL-5). 6 years and older
Reslizumab: an antibody that recognizes and blocks Interleukin-5 (IL-5). 18 years and older

Many treatments and therapies are underway to improve the lives of many with eosinophilic asthma.

If you or someone you know suffer from severe asthma, our board-certified providers are ready to help you find the right treatment for you. Call 210-616-0882 to schedule your appointment today.

May 26, 2021/by Kayla Gomez

Allergies, English, Health, Illness

Is It Mountain Cedar Allergies or COVID-19?

Venn Diagram of COVID and Seasonal Allergy Symptoms

Content source: National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases (NCIRD), Division of Viral Diseases

Are you feeling a slight sniffle, cough or headache? This winter brings an extra layer of worry for mountain cedar sufferers as they try to decipher the difference between mountain cedar allergies and COVID-19.

The CDC has shared this helpful Venn diagram showing the differences and similarities of seasonal allergies to COVID-19. The biggest difference is that COVID-19 may cause: fever, chills, body aches, loss of taste or smell, nausea or vomiting, and diarrhea while seasonal allergies will not.

If you are experiencing a mixture of these symptoms it could be possible that you have contracted the COVID-19 virus while also being affected by mountain cedar pollen in the air. The only way to know for sure is by getting a COVID-19 test.

Taking extra precaution to wear a mask and social distance this winter is advised. If you believe that you may have COVID-19, be sure to get tested and quarantine to avoid spreading the virus to others. If you are having trouble breathing, or other emergency warning signs, seek emergency medical care immediately.

AllergySA is not a current testing site for COVID-19. For a list of testing locations please visit: https://covid19.sanantonio.gov/What-YOU-Can-Do/Testing#TestingLocation

A COVID-19 Vaccine is days away from approval. For up to date information on the vaccination, visit our COVID-19 Information page at: https://allergysa.com/covid19/#COVID-Vaccination

December 10, 2020/by Kayla Gomez

English, Health, Illness, YouTube

Information on Coronavirus (COVID-19)

As we continue to see the impact of Coronavirus (COVID-19), we feel it is important to share with you what AllergySA is doing to help slow the spread while continuing to provide critical care to our patients.

San Antonio Ranked The #5 Most Challenging U.S. City To Live In With Pollen Allergies

San Antonio has been ranked the #5 most challenging U.S. city to live in with pollen allergies, according to the Spring Allergy Capitals Report from the Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America (AAFA).

The city jumped from the 22^nd spot in 2016 to the 5^th spot in 2018 because of the report’s findings on the following factors:

Pollen and mold counts
Allergy medication usage
Availability of board-certified allergists

San Antonio is not the only South Texas city to make the top of the list. McAllen, Texas came in at #1 followed by: #2: Louisville, Kentucky, #3: Jackson, Mississippi, and #4: Memphis, Tennessee. See the full 2018 Spring Allergy Capitals report here.

According to Kenneth Mendez, president and CEO of AAFA, the report, “helps people in these areas be more aware of what may contribute to their allergy symptoms, so they can work with their health care providers to get relief.”

The board-certified allergists and medical professionals of AllergySA are committed to caring for adult and pediatric patients with asthma, allergy and immunology issues in San Antonio and South Texas. With the right treatment plan, seasonal allergies can be managed for better quality of life.

If you have never been tested for seasonal allergies, contact AllergySA at (210) 616-0882 to set up a new patient appointment today.

May 22, 2018/by allergysa

Allergies, English, Health, Illness

Cold vs. Allergies

Are you reaching for the tissues with a runny nose, watery eyes and sneezing several times a day? Before you go straight for the cold medicine aisle in your local pharmacy, here are some tips to help you determine if your symptoms are being caused by a common cold or seasonal allergies.

A common cold is caused by a virus and will generally last 7 to 10 days. Symptoms include a sore throat, coughing, sneezing, and a runny or stuffy nose. Fever, fatigue, aches and pains may also be experienced.

Allergy symptoms are immune system responses to allergens (such as pollen) and can last for weeks, or as long as the person is exposed to the allergen. Symptoms include itchy eyes, sneezing, and a runny or stuffy nose. A cough and sore throat may also be experienced, but never a fever.

It is always best to check with a medical professional to determine the cause of your symptoms. If you are experiencing allergy symptoms, make an appointment with one of our board certified physicians today by calling 210-616-0882.

If allergies are the culprit, the best way to handle your symptoms is to know exactly what is causing them. This can be done through an allergy skin test in our office. For more information on what to expect during an allergy skin test procedure visit: https://allergysa.com/what-expect.

December 29, 2017/by allergysa

What is an Asthma Action Plan?

What is Eosinophilic Asthma?

Is It Mountain Cedar Allergies or COVID-19?

Information on Coronavirus (COVID-19)

San Antonio Ranked The #5 Most Challenging U.S. City To Live In With Pollen Allergies

Cold vs. Allergies

LOCATION INFORMATION

Medical Center

Stone Oak

Southside

CONTACT INFORMATION