Asthma

UR Medicine’s Mary Parkes Center for Asthma, Allergy & Pulmonary Care offers comprehensive care for patients suffering from all forms of asthma. Our team includes internationally recognized asthma experts who emphasize personalized approaches to diagnosis and management.

How Is Asthma Diagnosed?

Your provider will perform a physical exam, ask about your symptoms and health history, and may order lung function tests:

• Spirometry: Measures how much air you can exhale and how fast.

• Peak flow: A simple at‑home test that tracks day‑to‑day changes.

• Exhaled nitric oxide (FeNO): Looks for airway inflammation.

• Bronchoprovocation testing: Helps confirm asthma when routine tests are normal.

Some people also benefit from allergy testing and blood testing to find specific triggers.

How Is Asthma Treated?

Asthma treatment is personalized. Most plans include daily control medicines plus a quick relief option for sudden symptoms.

Quick‑relief (short‑term) medicines

Used during a flare to relax airway muscles fast.

• Short‑acting bronchodilators (rescue inhalers)

• Oral steroids for moderate to severe attacks, if prescribed

Long‑term control medicines

Used every day to reduce airway inflammation and prevent asthma attacks.

• Inhaled corticosteroids (ICS)

• Combination inhalers (ICS + long‑acting bronchodilator)

• Leukotriene modifiers and other add‑on medicines

• Biologic therapies (for severe or allergic asthma): anti‑IgE, anti‑IL‑5/5R, anti‑IL‑4/13, and anti‑TSLP

• Bronchial thermoplasty for carefully selected adults with severe asthma

Your care team will work with you to create a plan for everyday management. They will teach you how and when to use each inhaler or device and instruct you on what to do during a flare up. 

With our personalized approach, we perform ongoing assessments with a step-by-step approach that includes adding new therapies to help get asthma under control and stopping treatments that are no longer needed.

Preventing Asthma Attacks

Small steps can make a big difference:

• Take long‑term medicines exactly as prescribed—even when you feel well

• Use your quick‑relief inhaler at the first sign of symptoms (as directed)

• Get recommended vaccines (flu, COVID‑19) to lower the risk from respiratory infections

• Reduce allergens at home: wash bedding in hot water, use mattress and pillow covers, and control dust mites

• Avoid smoke and strong odors

• Improve home ventilation

• Manage reflux, sinus problems, and allergies that can make asthma worse

These steps help prevent asthma symptoms from getting out of control.

• Comprehensive testing: Full lung function tests, FeNO, and bronchoprovocation when needed
• Advanced therapies: Access to the latest biologic treatments and specialized procedures for severe asthma, including FDA-approved biologic therapies (anti-IgE, anti-IL-5 therapy, anti-IL-4-/13, and anti-TSLP)
• Coordinated, multidisciplinary care: Allergy & immunology, pulmonary, otorhinolaryngology, speech pathology, gastroenterology, and occupational & environmental medicine experts working together
• Education and support: Personalized Asthma Action Plans and device teaching from our team of asthma educators, an asthma navigator, nurses, nurse practitioners, respiratory therapists, pharmacists, and physicians
• One of six designated World Allergy Organization Centers of Excellence in the U.S.: Dedicated to providing innovative clinical therapies for allergies, asthma, and immune disorders