Asthma

Asthma is an ongoing condition that causes the airways to swell and become narrow, making it hard to breathe. It can also cause coughing, wheezing, chest pain, and long-term damage to the lungs. Asthma is often passed down from parent to child, but it also can be caused by a severe respiratory infection during childhood, allergic conditions, and exposure to certain types of chemicals or workplace dust. Asthma attacks can happen at any time, but physical activity such as sports or exercise often triggers an attack.

The main treatment for asthma is daily use of inhaled steroids to reduce airway inflammation, as well as medications called bronchodilators that relax and open up the airways. Some patients require additional treatments to keep their asthma under control. If your asthma is not well-controlled, talk to your doctor about ways to improve your symptoms. Please see the Resources section at the bottom right of this page for more information and a link to an online quiz to help determine if your asthma is controlled or uncontrolled.

The experts at the UAB Medicine Asthma Clinic provide advanced treatments such as monoclonal antibodies, which target the inflammation caused by asthma. The clinic is part of UAB Pulmonary Services, which is ranked among the best programs of its kind in the nation by U.S. News & World Report, and our physicians are consistently listed among the Best Doctors in America for respiratory disease. We serve patients at the main UAB Medicine campus and also at our convenient neighborhood clinics in Hoover and Gardendale.