Asthma Diagnosis and Treatment

Asthma is a chronic condition that affects the airways in your lungs, called bronchial tubes. These airways allow air to move in and out of the lungs. In people with asthma, the airways are persistently inflamed and sensitive. When exposed to triggers—such as pollen, dust mites, pet dander, mold, cold air, smoke, exercise, or respiratory infections—the airways can swell further and the surrounding muscles tighten. This narrowing makes it more difficult to breathe.

Asthma has several types. Allergic asthma—sometimes called atopic asthma—is the most common and is closely linked to allergies. It’s often triggered by things like pollen, pet dander, or mold. Exercise-induced asthma flares up during or after physical activity. Cough-variant asthma mainly causes a long-lasting, dry cough instead of the typical wheezing. Non-allergic asthma isn’t tied to allergies and can be triggered by things like stress, infections, or environmental irritants such as smoke or strong odors.

At AllergySA, our board-certified allergists specialize in diagnosing asthma, identifying triggers, and creating personalized treatment plans to help both adult and pediatric asthma patients breathe easier and live more active lives.

Common Symptoms of Asthma

Asthma symptoms may vary from person to person and can change over time. Symptoms can range from mild to severe and may worsen with exercise, illness, or exposure to allergens.

Common signs include:

• Wheezing or whistling sound when breathing
• Shortness of breath
• Chest tightness or pressure
• Chronic cough, especially at night or with exercise
• Difficulty breathing during colds or respiratory infections

If symptoms interfere with daily activities, sleep, or exercise, evaluation by an allergist is important.

Is Asthma Genetic?

Asthma often runs in families. While there is no single “asthma gene,” genetics can increase your risk of developing asthma, especially when combined with environmental factors such as allergens, viral infections, smoke exposure, or air pollution.

If you have a family history of asthma, allergies, eczema, or other allergic conditions, your likelihood of developing asthma is higher. This is particularly common in individuals with allergic asthma, where the same immune response that causes allergy symptoms also contributes to airway inflammation.

However, genetics alone do not determine whether someone will develop asthma. Environmental exposures and early-life factors also play an important role.

Why See an Allergist for Asthma?

Allergists are specially trained to diagnose asthma and identify allergic triggers that may worsen symptoms. Because allergies commonly drive asthma inflammation, allergists play a key role in optimizing long-term control and reducing asthma flare-ups.

Seeing an allergist helps:

• Confirm the diagnosis of asthma
• Identify allergic and environmental triggers
• Improve symptom control and lung function
• Reduce emergency visits and oral steroid use

How Allergists Diagnose Asthma

Diagnosis begins with a thorough medical history and physical exam, focusing on symptoms, triggers, and family history.

Accurate diagnosis is essential for effective asthma management. We offer in-office testing to evaluate lung function and airway inflammation. These tools allow us to tailor treatment based on your specific condition. Testing may include:

Lung Function Testing - Spirometry

Spirometry, a type of pulmonary function test (PFT) measures how well air moves in and out of your lungs and helps confirm airway obstruction.

Allergy Testing

Identifies environmental allergens—such as pollen, dust mites, mold, or pet dander—that may be triggering asthma symptoms.

Additional Testing (When Needed)

Fractional exhaled nitric oxide (FeNO) testing - a simple breathing test used to detect whether or not allergic inflammation is present in the airway. FeNO is often used alongside spirometry to provide a more complete assessment.

Asthma Treatment Options

Asthma treatment is individualized based on symptom severity, triggers, and lung function.  Our goal is to reduce flare-ups, improve daily breathing, and prevent long-term complications.

Treatment plans may include:

• Quick-relief inhalers for sudden symptoms
• Daily controller medications to reduce airway inflammation
• Personalized asthma action plans
• Inhaler technique education
• Biologic therapies for difficult to control asthma
• Ongoing monitoring and trigger management

Treatment for Allergic Asthma

For patients with allergic asthma, allergists may recommend:

• Environmental trigger avoidance strategies
• Allergy medications
• Allergy immunotherapy (allergy shots or drops) to reduce sensitivity to allergens and improve asthma control

Biologic Therapies for Asthma

For patients with moderate to severe asthma that is not well controlled with standard inhalers, biologic therapies may be an option. These advanced medications target specific immune pathways involved in asthma inflammation.

Biologics may be used for patients with allergic asthma, eosinophilic asthma, or for those with frequent asthma flare-ups or steroid dependence.  Your allergist will determine if biologic therapy is appropriate based on medical and symptom history and testing.

Long-Term Asthma Management

With consistent care, most patients experience fewer asthma attacks, improved exercise tolerance, better sleep, reduced emergency visits, fewer missed school or work days, and a greater overall quality of life.   Asthma is a chronic condition, but with expert care, most patients can achieve excellent control.