Asthma and COPD Treatment in Gachibowli, Hyderabad
Asthma and COPD both narrow the airways and cause breathlessness, cough and wheeze. Asthma often starts young and comes and goes with triggers; COPD usually follows years of smoking or smoke exposure and slowly worsens. Both are confirmed with a breathing test (spirometry) and treated mainly with inhalers. Using the inhaler correctly, avoiding smoke and having a written action plan prevent most attacks.
Your breathing care pathway
History and examination
Symptoms, triggers, smoking, exposure to biomass or dust, and past attacks.
Breathing test
Spirometry, arranged through partner facilities, confirms the diagnosis and its severity.
The right inhaler
A controller inhaler matched to the condition, with a reliever for symptoms.
Technique and action plan
Inhaler technique is checked at each visit, and a written plan explains what to do when symptoms worsen.
Prevention
Stopping smoking, avoiding triggers, vaccines and, for COPD, pulmonary rehabilitation.
Symptoms
- Breathlessness, especially on exertion
- Wheezing or a whistling sound when breathing
- Chest tightness
- Cough, often worse at night or early morning (asthma) or with daily phlegm (COPD)
- Frequent chest infections
Causes & risk factors
- Asthma: allergies, family history, dust mites, pollen, pets, cold air, exercise, viral infections
- COPD: smoking, second-hand smoke and long exposure to biomass smoke from cooking fuel
- Air pollution and occupational dust or fumes
- Excess weight and acid reflux, which can worsen symptoms
Asthma and COPD compared
The two can look alike, and some people have features of both.
| Asthma | COPD | |
|---|---|---|
| Usual start | Childhood or young adulthood, any age | After 40, with smoking or smoke exposure |
| Pattern | Symptoms come and go with triggers | Slowly worsening breathlessness with daily cough |
| Breathing test | Narrowing that improves markedly with a reliever | Narrowing that does not fully reverse |
| Main treatment | An inhaler containing a steroid for every adult, with a reliever | Long-acting bronchodilator inhalers; steroid inhalers for some |
Getting the most from inhalers
Most inhaler problems are technique problems.
- Ask for your technique to be checked at every visit; a spacer helps with many inhalers
- Asthma guidance no longer recommends using a reliever alone; adults need a controller that contains an inhaled steroid
- Rinse your mouth after steroid inhalers
- Keep your reliever with you and follow your written action plan when symptoms rise
- Get the yearly flu vaccine and pneumococcal vaccine as advised
How it’s diagnosed
Symptoms, triggers, smoking and exposure history and an examination guide the diagnosis, which is confirmed with spirometry arranged through partner facilities. A chest X-ray and blood tests are added when another cause is possible.
How it’s treated
Asthma is treated with an inhaled-steroid controller, often combined with a long-acting reliever, and a written action plan. COPD is treated with long-acting bronchodilator inhalers, smoking cessation, vaccines and pulmonary rehabilitation, with steroid inhalers for selected people. Inhaler technique is checked at every visit, and severe disease is shared with a chest physician.
When to seek care
- Breathlessness that makes it hard to speak in full sentences
- Lips or fingertips turning blue or grey
- Your reliever isn't helping, or you need it more than every four hours
- Drowsiness or confusion with breathlessness
- Fever with breathlessness and coloured phlegm
FAQ
Are steroid inhalers safe?
Yes. They use very small doses that go straight to the lungs. Rinsing your mouth afterwards prevents throat irritation and thrush.
Can asthma be cured?
It can't be cured, but most people are well controlled with the right inhaler and avoiding triggers, and live without limits.
Is COPD only caused by smoking?
Smoking is the main cause, but in India long exposure to smoke from cooking fuels and air pollution are also important causes, especially in women.
Do I need tablets or nebulisers instead of inhalers?
Inhalers with good technique, often with a spacer, work as well as nebulisers for most people and have fewer side effects than tablets.
Where can I get asthma or COPD treated in Gachibowli, Hyderabad?
Dr. Ram Kumar G treats asthma and COPD at Boston Diabetes Center, Gachibowli, Hyderabad, with breathing tests arranged through partner facilities. Call or WhatsApp 09618994555.
Medical disclaimer: Content on this page is for general education and is not a substitute for individualized medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Outcomes vary between patients. Boston Diabetes Center is outpatient / day-care specialty centre with an on-site diagnostic lab and pharmacy — no inpatient beds; imaging and inpatient care are coordinated through partner facilities.