Around 25 million, or one in 12, people in the United States have some form of asthma, with symptoms ranging from mildly annoying to severely debilitating, hampering even the simplest of activities. If asthma is having a negative impact on your life, Dr. Mingliarti Tjahjana of One Health Medical Care in Reston, Virginia, can help you manage the disease, allowing you the freedom to breathe easier.
Asthma is a chronic condition that affects your airways, causing them to swell, tighten, and produce more mucus, making your breathing labored and difficult.
There are several different types of asthma, including:
Doctors don’t understand what causes asthma, but they believe that it’s closely tied to heredity. In other words, if your family has a history of asthma, your risk of developing asthma increases. What medical researchers are getting a handle on are the triggers for asthma, making treatment more a matter of avoiding certain environments and activities, and mitigating symptoms. In fact, because the cause is unknown, there is no cure for asthma.
The range and severity of symptoms vary from person to person, but the following are the most common:
If you’re experiencing any of these symptoms, make an appointment with Dr. Tjahjana to get to the bottom of the issue.
Since there is no cure for asthma, prevention and long-term management are the best ways to control your condition.
Treatment typically requires a multi-pronged approach that includes a combination of the following:
Dr. Tjahjana will work with you to design the best plan to control your asthma.