To observe National Asthma and Allergy Awareness Month, we are talking to Dr. Negrich. We discuss what happens physically during an asthma attack, innovations in treatment, and when it's time to go see a doctor.
Shelby Stockton:
Welcome to the Texas ENT audio blog. I'm Shelby Stockton. To celebrate National Asthma and Allergy Awareness Month, I'm talking to Dr. Negrich. We discuss what happens physically during an asthma attack, innovations in treatment, and when it's time to go see a doctor.
Shelby Stockton:
Hi, Dr. Negrich, thank you so much for spending some time with me today.
Dr. Negrich:
How are you today? Thank you for having me.
Shelby Stockton:
Oh, I'm great. Thanks so much. So the reason why I'm giving you a call is because May is National Asthma and Allergy Awareness Month. So we're really trying to shine a light on asthma. I know you're a specialist in that field. I was wondering, everybody sees, they see on the outside when someone has asthma what's going on with an asthma attack, but what's actually happening physically to a person when they are having an asthma attack?
Dr. Negrich:
Well, asthma attacks are from inflammation and bronchospasm and mucus secretion. So when people are actually having an asthma attack, it could be started by multiple different things. It could be started by allergies, it could be started by irritants. So, not everybody that has allergies has asthma, and not that everybody that has asthma has allergies. So some of the worst asthmatics can be people that have no allergies at all, so when they're exposed to a strong irritant, like strong smells or scents or smoke, they could have a bronchospasm. That bronchospasm ties down their airway and makes it difficult for them to have airflow to their lungs, and they'll feel short of breath.
Shelby Stockton:
Okay. And some people will be like, "Oh, it's just like a panic attack," but asthma attacks are very serious, yes?
Dr. Negrich:
Asthma attacks can be very serious. People die all the time from asthma, even to this day. Panic attacks are common also, and one of the things we try to do at the office is differentiate between the different problems that they might have. Is it a panic attack, is it vocal cord dysfunction, or is it some other type of lung disease that's caused them have asthma-like symptoms. Asthma, typically, people will wheeze, but everybody that has wheezing doesn't have asthma, necessarily. And so, an example of that is bronchitis. They'll also have wheezing, but not necessarily the bronchospasms that people have that have asthma.
Shelby Stockton:
So this brings me to my next point. How would someone know, "Okay, this is when you need to go see a doctor. You need to get checked out."
Dr. Negrich:
Yeah. If they're having problem all the time or they want to get a diagnosis on what kind of shortness of breath they're having, they should see a doctor, and if they're old enough, they can have a breathing test, a spirometry that we do at the office, and for further evaluation, we send them for a complete pulmonary function test at the hospital sometimes. And that will determine how bad their asthma is and how to classify it. Plus, also asking them a in-depth history of their attacks, when they started, what exacerbates their attacks, and some of the details. Like, do they have allergies or how did this start, and how long it's been going on for.
Shelby Stockton:
Okay. And what about treatment these days for asthma?
Dr. Negrich:
There's a lot of good treatment for asthma these days. We're coming out with inhaled steroids that are better and better. They're less absorbed into the bloodstream. Lots of people have big concerns about absorbing the steroids and stunting the growth of their kids, especially. And the steroids that we now have available get absorbed very, very little, and so that's less of a concern. It's always a concern, of course, and we try to give the least amount of medicines as possible, but we have newer medicines, too, that are biologics, like XOLAIR, and DUPIXENT, and FASENRA, and NUCALA, also for asthma, allergic types of asthma. And if their asthma's not controlled with the normal inhalers and prevention methods we use, then we attempt to get them certified or approved for one of the biologics, if they're in the right age category.
Shelby Stockton:
What is biologic? Is that taken in like an inhaler or a completely different way?
Dr. Negrich:
Biologics are injections, typically. And, they're a biological part that's made, like for example, with XOLAIR, it's a IgG antibody that is a anti-IgE antibody. So, it eats up the allergy antibodies in the system, and people tend to get better after their allergies are treated.
Shelby Stockton:
Wow. Science is so cool. It's amazing that that's possible. Well, is there anything else that you'd like to allow to people about asthma coming into Texas ENT, seeing you, or seeing a doctor?
Dr. Negrich:
If they have problems breathing, they obvious need something done and need to find the answer of why they're having the breathing problem, and just ignoring it isn't going to get them any further. So, having the right testing, the breathing test, chest X-rays, sometimes we need labs. We especially need labs when we are looking for approval for one of these biologic agencies, anti-antibodies, and they have specific requirements, each one of them. And, that's part of at the workup too. And then, also we need labs to rule out other medical problems too.
Shelby Stockton:
All right, great advice. You heard it here first, everyone. Dr. Negrich, thank you so much for spending some time with me today.
Dr. Negrich:
Well, thank you for having me.
