For the 25 million Americans with asthma, managing multiple medicines and avoiding triggers requires a lot of time, energy, planning and effort. The chronic lung condition can also put a limit on exercise and activity. Asthma can be fatal, and the condition prematurely claims the lives of more than 250,000 people every year. Fortunately, Dr. Johnson can help people with asthma and other chronic lung conditions gain long-term relief using adipose fat stem cell therapy.
What is Asthma? Causes, Signs, and Symptoms
Asthma is a chronic lung condition that causes inflammation and swelling of the airways, making breathing difficult. Asthma causes feelings of chest tightness, wheezing, coughing and shortness of breath.
While the cause of asthma is largely unknown, some researchers think it is caused by genetics, lung infections in early childhood, exposure to second-hand cigarette smoke as a child, reaction to allergens or lung irritants, and environmental pollutants.
Triggers for asthma include cigarette smoke and other allergens, including dander and dust; changes in temperature and humidity; food allergies; food additives; and chemicals found in building materials. Some people with asthma also react to certain medications, like NSAIDs.
Can You Outgrow Asthma?
For many years, asthma was treated as a childhood illness, and it was thought that children with asthma would simply outgrow the condition as they aged into adulthood. While asthma symptoms and reactions may lessen over time, asthma is a lifelong illness, and symptoms can actually get worse over time for some people.
Signs that asthma is worsening include increased episodes of shortness of breath, chronic cough and a decrease in stamina during normal activity. Some people with asthma may also find they cannot exercise as long or as often as they used to and rely on their emergency inhaler more often.
Treating Asthma With Stem Cells
Inhalers, full of medication like steroids and anti-inflammatories, are the most common treatment for asthma. They help to temporarily calm lungs and airways during an asthma attack. Relief can be short-lived until the next attack is triggered. Managing asthma this way can be difficult, expensive, frustrating and scary.
Dr. Johnson gives people with asthma long-term relief by using stem cell therapy to target the source of inflammation that causes asthma. Fat stem cells taken from the patient through liposuction are nebulized and inhaled directly into the lungs, in combination with IV therapy. Once the stem cells are in the lungs, they begin working to target the source of inflammation and reduce swelling of the cells in the airway. For further information read our blogs What are Stem Cells? and Understanding Adipose-Derived Stem Cells.
Stem cell therapy also generates healthy tissue in lung tissue damaged by the condition.
Patients who undergo stem cell therapy for their asthma may experience less frequent asthma attacks, increased oxygen levels, and increased stamina. Innovations Medical provides stem cell therapy procedures in both the Dallas and Fort Worth practice locations.
For more information about treating your asthma with stem cell therapy, call Dr. Johnson at (214) 643-8665.