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Severe Asthma News & Updates

  • six children walking up the stairs into their school

    ‘We Called Him Itty’ – But He Had Big Dreams

    Izaiah Fiedler tragically died from suicide whilte on montelukast for asthma. His family now advocates for improved asthma care and suicide prevention.

  • woman with curly hair holds her chest while having an asthma attack

    ‘The Balancing Act’ Video: Prevalence of Severe Asthma

    Watch as severe asthma and treatment options, including oral corticosteroids are discussed.

  • A woman with long, dark hair is speaking against a patterned background. She wears a black blazer. Text beside her reads: "Purvi Parikh, MD, FACAAI, Board-certified allergist and immunologist" with additional professional details.

    Ask the Allergist: Severe Asthma Know-How

    Dr. Purvi Parikh answers the Ask the Allergist question: how does a severe asthma patient know if their symptoms are well controlled?

  • a concerned mother helping her child through an asthma attack by using an inhaler

    Pediatric Asthma Yardstick: Step-Up Care for Children

    Learn about the pediatric asthma yardstick to step-up care for children.

  • Illustration of a shirtless man with an overlay of the respiratory system, showing lungs, bronchial tubes, and trachea. The image highlights anatomical features on the chest area, suggesting a focus on respiratory health or anatomy.

    What Severe Asthma Looks Like

    Here’s a fascinating look at what happens inside your body during a severe asthma attack — and what the symptoms may look like from…

  • A person in a striped shirt holds a blue asthma inhaler in one hand while touching their chest with the other hand, indicating readiness to use the inhaler.

    Leading Patient Advocacy Organizations Join Forces to Launch Program Aimed at Raising Awareness of Severe Asthma

    Allergy & Asthma Network (AAN) and the Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America (AAFA) today announced the launch of Be the Boss of Your Asthma,…

  • A doctor in a white coat is speaking with an older woman, both holding tablets. The image is overlaid with the words "Ask the Allergist.

    Ask the Allergist: Step-Up Care for Asthma

    Dr. Bradley Chips answers the Ask the Allergist question: what do asthma patients need to know about the new Asthma Yardstick?

  • A female doctor in a white coat is sitting at a desk and talking on a phone. She is smiling and holding a pen. Papers and office supplies are on the desk, and shelves are in the background.

    HealthCentral Video: Lessons From a Lifetime of Severe Asthma

    Learn how a specialized approach to asthma care helped a severe asthma patient, Anne, to breathe better.

  • A smiling person in a gray jacket and light shirt is posed against a plain, light background.

    Breathing Easy On and Off the Basketball Court

    The story of how NBA standout Richard Jefferson saved his career with Bronchial Thermoplasty.

  • Image featuring a banner titled "Advances in Allergy & Asthma: Breathe Better Together," displaying logos of the Allergy & Asthma Network and the American College of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology. Below is text: "The Asthma Yardstick: What Practitioners and Patients Need to Know.

    How the New ‘Asthma Yardstick’ Measures Up

    Leading board-certified allergists and pulmonologists recently developed a series of recommendations called the Asthma Yardstick.

All About

Severe Asthma News & Updates

If you are unable to control asthma with all types of treatment, you may have severe asthma. It’s estimated 5-10% of people with asthma have severe asthma. These patients often experience high rates of emergency department visits and hospitalizations. Severe asthma must be carefully monitored since symptoms could be life-threatening if ignored. If your symptoms worsen, you have a flare-up during everyday activities, or your symptoms don’t respond to a quick-relief inhaler, prompt medical treatment is necessary. Severe asthma may call for a higher dosage of inhaled corticosteroids or long-term oral corticosteroids. If symptoms continue to not respond, then biologics are the next step. These medications target cells and pathways that cause allergic inflammation. They reduce inflammation and calm the immune system. Your treatment plan may also include lifestyle changes, including:

  • Avoiding triggers (including allergens)
  • Avoiding smoking (including secondhand smoke)
  • Losing weight if needed
  • Doing breathing exercises
  • Managing or reducing stress
The goal of asthma treatment is to manage and control symptoms so you can live life to the fullest. Regular appointments with your doctor and updating your Asthma Action Plan as needed are vital to effective asthma management. See our full article on Severe Asthma.

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