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KNOWLEDGE

COVID-19 AND ASTHMA

If you suffer from moderate or severe asthma, the Centers for Disease Control and
Prevention (CDC) warns that you may be more likely to experience severe health
issues if you develop COVID-19. COVID-19 is an infectious disease that can lead to
respiratory tract issues and may cause acute respiratory disease, asthma attacks and
pneumonia.

   Because your airways are already stressed by asthma, it’s very important
that you work to reduce your risk of exposure to COVID-19 by following CDC
recommendations, which include staying home as much as possible, disinfecting
frequently touched surfaces, practicing social distancing and washing your hands
frequently with soap and water.

   During this time, you also need to follow your asthma action plan to control your
symptoms as well as possible. The CDC also recommends that you:

   Take your medications as recommended by your provider. You should never
change your treatment plan or stop medications without speaking with your provider.

   Speak with your healthcare provider about any concerns you have about asthma
and your risk for COVID-19.

   Talk to your provider, pharmacist and insurance company about getting an
emergency prescription medication supply. You might need to stock up on your
nonprescription medications and supplies, too.

   “The goal of asthma treatment during childhood and adolescence           According to the Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America,
is to teach young patients how to decrease the frequency and             symptoms of adult-onset asthma include breathing difficulties,
intensity of asthma attacks so they can have the best quality of life,”  chest tightness, dry cough, lingering chest colds and wheezing.
Loudin says. “We don’t want anyone sitting on the sidelines because
they can’t breathe. We want them to be able to breathe easier, play      BREATHING EASIER
the sports they want to play and be with their friends. We want to
help kids get better.”                                                   Regardless of when and how asthma is diagnosed, the treatment is
                                                                         basically the same for children and adults.
ASTHMA IN ADULTHOOD                                                      »» Avoid your triggers. Asthma attacks can be triggered by any

While most people with asthma are diagnosed as children, it                 number of substances or activities, including cigarette smoke,
is possible—and not uncommon—to have asthma as an adult.                    pollen, pet dander and dust mites, and some patients may have
According to Dr. Khan, adults with asthma can be divided into               asthma attacks while exercising.
two groups: The first includes patients who had asthma as                »» Use the medications recommended by your physician, and learn
children and carried the condition into adulthood, and the second,          how to administer them correctly.
less-common group develop new symptoms of asthma as adults.                 “Patients with asthma take two types of medication: stabilizers,
                                                                         which they take every day, and rescue medication, for when they have
   “A careful history of patients with adult-onset asthma will           an asthma attack and need more help,” Loudin explains.“The goal of
likely reveal that many had wheezing, cough and other breathing          asthma treatment is to decrease the use of rescue medications.”
problems as children,” Dr. Khan says. “Either they were mild             »» Know what to do if the medications aren’t working properly.
symptoms that were ignored by parents, or the symptoms                      The inability to breathe is a medical emergency and requires
disappeared on their own only to reappear after many years.                 immediate care from a doctor.
                                                                            Asthma management takes time and dedication, but providers at
   “The diagnosis of adults with new asthma can be difficult,            Navicent Health are here to help.
because many patients tend to have smoking history, chronic
pulmonary obstructive disease [COPD] overlap or other factors that       A PRIMARY CARE PROVIDER CAN DIAGNOSE ASTHMA AND HELP
can also explain their symptoms,” Dr. Khan says. “This makes it          YOU DEVELOP A TREATMENT PLAN. IF YOU NEED A PHYSICIAN,
difficult to pinpoint a single cause of breathlessness. As a physician,  VISIT WWW.NAVICENTHEALTH.ORG/FIND-A-DOCTOR.
you have to do more extensive workup and testing for these adults.”

                                                                         5SUMMER 2020 | navicenthealth.org 
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