Asthma Complexities Center - Berkeley, CABerkeley Asthma & Allergy Specialist Doctors for Asthma ComplexitiesType of Physician: Asthma & Allergy Specialist What is a Asthma & Allergy Specialist? A certification by the Board of Allergy & Immunology; practitioners are expert in the evaluation, diagnosis and management of immune disorders. Specialty: Allergy, Asthma & Immunology Common Name: Allergy Doctor Asthma & Allergy Specialist Doctors in Berkeley * Allergy & Asthma Medical Group  Allergy and Immunology Clinic of East Bay  Richard L Wacht MD  Bay Area Pediatrics  Alameda Centre Physicians  Vadim I Kvitash MD  Michael J Reid MD  Jeffrey M Davidson MD  North East Medical Service  Terr Medical Corporation  San Francisco Ear Nose Throat & Allergy  Robert J Deitz MD  Xavier O Barrios MD  Paul P Cheng MD  Bocobo German & Strub MDs  Bocobo German & Strub MDs  Bocobo German & Strub MDs  Castro Hearing Center  Russell E Leong MD  Piero Mustacchi MD  UCSF Allergy Faculty Clinic  UCSF Chest & Allergy Clinic  UCSF Allergy Faculty Clinic  UCSF Allergy Faculty Clinic  UCSF Allergy Faculty Clinic  Pediatric Immunology & Rheumatology  Anthony N DeMeo MD  Advanced Allergy Center  Allergy & Asthma Medical Group  Allergy & Asthma Medical Group  Allergy & Asthma Medical Group  Allergy & Asthma Medical Group  Allergy & Asthma Medical Group  Allergy & Asthma Medical Group  Allergy & Asthma Medical Group  Allergy & Asthma Medical Group  Geary Medical Office  Allergy Consultants Medical Group  Kaiser Permanente Medical Center  Allergy Specialists Medical Group Inc  Robert L Freinkel MD  Peninsula Allergy Associates  Peninsula Allergy Associates  Peninsula Allergy Associates  Neil D Mulcahy MD  Danville Asthma & Allergy Clinic  Kaiser Permanente Hayward Allergy  Peninsula Allergy Associates  Joann Blessing-Moore MD  The Allergy & Asthma Clinic  Steven Machtinger MD  Steven Machtinger MD  Cosmetic Dermatology Center  Robert Litman MD  Allergy & Asthma Consultants  Umesh Sab MD  Menlo Medical Clinic  Menlo Medical Clinic  Allergy & Asthma Associates of Northern California  Allergy & Asthma Associates of Northern California  Allergy & Asthma Associates of Northern California  Allergy & Asthma Associates of Northern California  Allergy & Asthma Associates of Northern California  California Ear Institute  Allergy & Dermatology Clinic  Palo Alto Medical Foundation Fremont Center  Palo Alto Medical Clinic Medical Specialties  Welch Pasteur Allergy Medical Group  Palo Alto Medical Clinic Medical Specialties  Leon W Lipson MD  Palo Alto Medical Clinic Medical Specialties  Welch Pasteur Allergy Medical Group  Lucile Packard Childrens Hospital  Allergy & Asthma Center  Medical Specialties Clinic  Stanford University Medical Center  Camino Medical Group Allergy Department  Camino Medical Group Allergy Department  South Bay Allergy & Asthma Group  Allergy & Asthma Adult & Pediatric  Neema Malhotra MD  Allergy & Asthma Associates of Northern California  Judy T DelMundo MD  Alan Heller MD  South Bay Allergy & Asthma Group  South Bay Allergy & Asthma Group  South Bay Allergy & Asthma Group  San Jose Medical Group  Virender Sachdeva MD  Massoud Malmoudi DO  Allergy & Asthma Adult & Pediatric  Fred & Mary Mansubi MDs PC  Andrew Lozano Jr. MD  Sutter West Medical Group  Allergy Immunology & Asthma Medical Group  Allergy Immunology & Asthma Medical Group  UC Davis Specialty Clinic  Allergy Immunology & Asthma Medical Group  Woodland Healthcare Clinic  Santa Cruz Medical Foundation Soquel Ave Berkeley, CaliforniaUpcoming Local Events2012-06-16
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Asthma ComplexitiesRead the Asthma Complexities article » Unusual symptoms of asthmaPatients suffering from episodes of asthma do not always have the typical symptoms of asthma such as shortness of breath, chest tightness, and wheezing (symptoms of airway narrowing). Instead, patients can have symptoms that may not appear to be related to asthma. These "unusual" asthma symptoms include
To complicate matters, symptoms of asthma are not consistent and often vary from time to time in an individual. In some patients, symptoms are influenced by diurnal factors; for example, some patients experience asthma primarily at night (nocturnal asthma) rather than during the day. Furthermore, episodes of asthma can be triggered by many different factors such as allergens, dust, smoke, perfumes, cold air, exercise, infections, medications, and acid reflux. Finally, other illness such as heart failure, bronchitis, and dysfunction of the vocal cords can cause symptoms that mimic those of asthma. For these reasons, accurately diagnosing and treating asthma can be a challenge. For a comprehensive review of symptoms, causes, and treatments of asthma, and for a better understanding of the normal anatomy of the airways (trachea, bronchi, bronchioles and the lung), please visit the asthma article. Can a cough without wheezing be due to asthma?Chronic coughing is frequently defined by doctors as a cough that lasts longer than three weeks. Chronic cough can have several causes such as postnasal ... Recommended Reading Related to Asthma ComplexitiesChronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease » What is COPD?Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is comprised primarily of three related conditions - chronic bronchitis, chronic asthma, and emphysema. In each condition there is chronic obstruction of the flow of air through the airways and out of the lungs, and the obstruction generally is permanent and may be progressive over time. While asthma features obstruction to the flow of air out of the lungs, usually, the obstruction is reversible. Between "attacks" of asthma the flow of air through the airways typically is normal. These patients do not have COPD. However, if asthma is left untreated, the chronic inflammation associated with this disease can cause the airway obstruction to become fixed. That is, between attacks, the asthmatic patient may then have abnormal air flow. This process is referred to as lung remodeling. These asthma patients with a fixed component of airway obstruction are also considered to have COPD. Often patien... Other Related Asthma Complexities ArticlesEmergency Contact for Berkeley
Nearby Berkeley Hospitals *Alta Bates Summit Medical Center Herrick Campus Alta Bates Summit Medical Center Alta Bates Campus Children's Hospital & Research Center Oakland Kaiser Permanente Medical Center at Oakland Alta Bates Summit Medical Center Summit Campus Alameda County Medical Center Highland Campus Doctor's Medical Center San Pablo Alameda Hospital Chinese Hospital Saint Francis Memorial Hospital California Pacific Medical Center Pacific Campus San Francisco General Hospital UCSF Medical Center at Mount Zion Kaiser Permanente San Francisco Medical Center California Pacific Medical Center Davies Campus California Pacific Medical Center California Campus California Pacific Medical Center East Campus Kaiser Permanente Walnut Creek Medical Center St Luke's Hospital St Mary's Medical Center Contra Costa Regional Medical Center VA Northern CA Healthcare System at Martinez UCSF Medical Center at Parnassus John Muir Medical Center Walnut Creek Campus San Leandro Hospital Kindred Hospital San Francisco Bay Area Laguna Honda Hospital & Rehabilitation Center John George Psychiatric Pavilion Alameda County Medical Center Fairmont Campus San Francisco VA Medical Center John Muir Behavioral Health Center John Muir Medical Center Concord Campus Marin General Hospital Eden Medical Center Kentfield Rehabilitation & Specialty Hospital Seton Medical Center St Helena Hospital Center for Behavioral Health Kaiser Permanente South San Francisco Medical Center Kaiser Permanente Vallejo Medical Center Kaiser Permanente San Rafael Medical Center San Ramon Regional Medical Center Sutter Solano Medical Center St Rose Hospital Kaiser Permanente Hayward Medical Center Mills Hospital Mills-Peninsula Health Services Novato Community Hospital San Mateo Medical Center ValleyCare Health System Pleasanton Kaiser Permanente Redwood City Medical Center Sutter Delta Medical Center Washington Hospital Sequoia Hospital Seton Medical Center Coastside Fremont Hospital Telecare Solano Psychiatric Health Facility Napa State Hospital Menlo Park Surgical Hospital NorthBay Medical Center Valley Memorial Hospital Lucile Packard Children's Hospital Stanford Hospital & Clinics Sonoma Valley Hospital Queen of the Valley Medical Center Livermore Division of the VA Palo Alto Healthcare System VA Palo Alto Health Care System Petaluma Valley Hospital Featured Articles*Provider Directory Terms of Use: The WebMD 'Provider Directory' is provided by WebMD for use by the general public as a quick reference of information about Providers. The Provider Directory is not intended as a tool for verifying the credentials, qualifications, or abilities of any Provider contained therein. Inclusion in the Provider Directory does not imply recommendation or endorsement nor does omission in the Provider Directory imply WebMD disapproval. |
Suggested Reading on Asthma Complexities by Our Doctors
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Related Diseases & Conditions
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Sinus Infection
- Sinus infection (sinusitis) signs and symptoms include headache, fever, and facial tenderness, pressure, or pain. Treatments of sinus infections are generally with antibiotics and at times, home remedies.
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Emphysema
- Emphysema is a progressive disease of the lungs. The primary cause of emphysema is smoking. Alpha 1-antitrypsin deficiency is a rare disorder that has a genetic predisposition to emphysema. Aging, IV drug use, immune deficiencies, and connect tissue illnesses are also risk factors for emphysema. Emphysema is a subtype of COPD (chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, COLD). Symptoms include shortness of breath and wheezing. Management of symptoms may be achieved with medications, quitting smoking, pulmonary rehabilitation, or surgery.
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Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease
- COPD (chronic obstructive pulmonary disease) is a disorder that persistently obstructs bronchial airflow. COPD mainly involves three related conditions, chronic bronchitis, chronic asthma, and emphysema. Symptoms of COPD include chronic cough, shortness of breath, frequent respiratory infections, wheezing, morning headaches, and pulmonary hypertension. Treatment of COPD is focused on the related condition(s).
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Asthma
- Asthma is a common disorder in which chronic inflammation of the bronchial tubes (bronchi) makes them swell, narrowing the airways. Signs and symptoms include shortness of breath, chest tightness, cough and wheezing.
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Chronic Bronchitis
- Chronic bronchitis is a cough that occurs daily with production of sputum that lasts for at least three months, two years in a row. Causes of chronic bronchitis include cigarette smoking, inhaled irritants, and underlying disease processes (such as asthma, or congestive heart failure). Symptoms include cough, shortness of breath, and wheezing. Treatments include bronchodilators and steroids. Complications of chronic bronchitis include COPD and emphysema.
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Steroid Drug Withdrawal
- Corticosteroid drugs such as prednisone and prednisolone are commonly used to treat asthma, allergic reactions, RA, and IBD. Steroids such as these do have serious drawbacks such as steroid withdrawal symptoms such as: fatigue, weakness, decreased appetite, weight loss, nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain, and diarrhea. Speak with your healthcare provider prior to tapering off steroid medications.
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Asthma in Children
- Asthma, the main cause of chronic illness in children, has signs and symptoms in children that include frequent coughing spells, low energy while playing, complaints of chest "hurting," wheezing while breathing, shortness of breath, and feelings of tiredness. Treatment will involve a doctor creating an asthma action plan which will describe the use of asthma medications and when to seek emergency care for the child.
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Asthma: Over the Counter Treatment
- Patients who have infrequent, mild bouts of asthma attacks may use over-the-counter (OTC) medications to treat their asthma symptoms. OTC asthma medicines are limited to epinephrine and ephedrine. These OTC drugs are best used with the guidance of a physician, as there may be side effects and the drugs may not be very effective.
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Asthma Medications
- There are two types of asthma medications: long-term control with anti-inflammatory drugs and quick relief from bronchodilators. Asthma medicines may be inhaled using a metered dose inhaler or nebulizer or they may be taken orally. People with high blood pressure, diabetes, thyroid disease, or heart disease shouldn't take OTC drugs like Primatene Mist and Bronkaid.
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Reflux Laryngitis
- Acid backing up into the larynx (voice box), it causes reflux laryngitis. Irritation of the lining of the esophagus, larynx, and throat can lead to esophagitis, sinusitis, strictures, hoarseness, throat clearing, swallowing problems, asthma, chronic cough, and more. Typical symptoms of reflux laryngitis include heartburn, hoarseness, or a sensation of a foreign body in the throat. Reflux laryngitis can be treated with OTC medication, prescription medication, and lifestyle changes.
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Biorhythms
- Biologic rhythms, or biorhythms, are how our bodies respond to the regular phases of the sun, moon, and seasons. A medical chronobiologist studies how the "body clock" or biorhythms affect diseases and how the body clock responds to treatment of diseases and conditions at different times of the day.
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Secondhand Smoke
- Secondhand smoke can cause illness and disease in nonsmokers. Some of these conditions include lung cancer, heart disease, respiratory illnesses such as asthma, SIDS, bronchitis, and pneumonia. Learn how you can protect yourself and your family from secondhand smoke exposure in the home environment and workplace.
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Exercise-Induced Asthma
- Exercise-induced asthma is asthma triggered by vigorous exercise. Symptoms include coughing, shortness of breath, chest tightness, wheezing, and fatigue while exercising. Preventing exercise-induced asthma attacks involves using inhaled medicines before exercising, performing warm-up exercises and cooling down afterward, avoiding exercising outdoors when pollen counts are high, restricting exercise when you have a viral infection, and wearing a mask over your nose and mouth when exercising in cold weather.
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Sinus Infection
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Medications
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Procedures & Tests
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Pictures, Images & Quizzes
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Doctor's & Expert's Views
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Health News
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