Asthma Treatment in Hyderabad
City Chest Clinic, Mehdipatnam, Hyderabad|Dr. S.A. Rafi, Consultant Pulmonologist
Asthma is one of the most over-treated and under-controlled conditions we see. Most patients arrive on the right medicine taken the wrong way, or on a nebuliser and steroid tablets for what should be controlled by a single daily inhaler. With correct diagnosis, correct device technique and a written action plan, the overwhelming majority of asthma patients should live an entirely normal life — playing sport, sleeping through the night and never needing a hospital.
Symptoms that suggest asthma
- Wheezing or a whistling sound in the chest, especially while breathing out
- Breathlessness on exertion, on climbing stairs, or while laughing
- Dry cough that is worse at night or in the early hours of the morning
- Chest tightness or a feeling of not getting a full breath in
- Symptoms triggered by dust, smoke, cold air, perfume, pets, pollen or exercise
- Cough alone with no wheeze at all — cough-variant asthma, which is very frequently missed
- Symptoms that reliably improve after using a reliever inhaler
If any of these apply to you, book an evening consultation at City Chest Clinic, Mehdipatnam. Bring all previous reports, X-rays and your current medicines or inhalers.
Getting the diagnosis right first
Asthma is still commonly diagnosed on the basis of a stethoscope and a hunch. It should not be. Objective testing separates asthma from COPD, from vocal cord dysfunction, from reflux cough and from heart failure — all of which are treated completely differently.
- Spirometry with a bronchodilator reversibility test — the core diagnostic test, with same-day reporting at the clinic.
- Peak flow monitoring and variability assessment where spirometry is inconclusive.
- FeNO or bronchoprovocation testing for suspected cough-variant asthma.
- Allergy assessment — skin prick or specific IgE — to identify the actual triggers in your home and workplace.
- Chest X-ray, and CT where an alternative diagnosis needs excluding.
- Assessment of the conditions that keep asthma uncontrolled: allergic rhinitis, sinusitis, reflux, obesity and obstructive sleep apnea.
How we treat asthma
- A preventer (controller) inhaler taken daily to treat the underlying airway inflammation — this, not the reliever, is what actually controls asthma.
- The correct device for you: metered dose inhaler with a spacer, or a dry powder device, chosen on the basis of age, hand strength and coordination rather than habit.
- Hands-on inhaler technique training and re-checking at every review. Technique correction alone transforms control in a large proportion of our patients.
- Step-up and step-down of treatment on evidence, so you are never on more medicine than you need — or less.
- Treatment of allergic rhinitis and sinusitis alongside the asthma, because uncontrolled upper airway disease keeps the lower airway inflamed.
- Allergen immunotherapy in carefully selected allergic patients.
- Biologic therapy (anti-IgE, anti-IL5, anti-IL4) for severe eosinophilic or allergic asthma — this is what allows patients to come off long-term oral steroids.
- A written asthma action plan so you know exactly what to do in the first hours of a flare-up instead of heading to an emergency room.
If you are using your blue reliever inhaler more than twice a week, waking at night with cough or tightness, or have needed steroid tablets in the last year — your asthma is not controlled, regardless of what you have been told.
Why patients come here for asthma
- Diagnosis confirmed objectively with spirometry, not assumed.
- Inhaler technique physically checked — bring your own devices to the appointment.
- A clear goal: no night symptoms, no exercise limitation, minimal reliever use, no oral steroids.
- Long-term oral steroid and nebuliser dependence actively unwound wherever possible.
- Advanced options available for severe asthma, including biologics, under a pulmonologist with 20+ years of experience and US fellowship training.
Where and when to consult
832/2, House No.12, Sai Suchi Towers, Opposite Canara Bank,
Mehdipatnam, Hyderabad, Telangana 500006
Asthma Treatment — frequently asked questions
Is asthma curable?
Asthma is not curable, but it is very controllable. The realistic goal is complete freedom from symptoms — no night cough, no exercise limitation, minimal reliever use and no flare-ups. Many childhood asthmatics also improve substantially as adults.
Are inhalers habit-forming or harmful long term?
No. This is the single most damaging myth in asthma care. Inhaled steroids act locally in the airways at microgram doses and are dramatically safer than the repeated courses of oral steroid tablets that under-treated asthma inevitably requires. Avoiding inhalers is what causes harm.
Can I exercise or play sport with asthma?
Yes. Well-controlled asthma should not limit sport at all — many Olympic athletes have asthma. If exercise triggers your symptoms, it is a sign the treatment plan needs adjusting, not a reason to stop exercising.
Do I need a nebuliser at home?
Very rarely. An inhaler with a spacer delivers the drug as effectively as a nebuliser in almost all situations, and home nebuliser dependence often masks poorly controlled disease. We usually work towards getting patients off routine home nebulisation.
What does asthma treatment cost at City Chest Clinic?
Consultation is charged at standard clinic rates, and spirometry is available at the clinic with same-day reporting. Call +91 81215 09229 for current consultation and test charges, and to book an evening slot at Mehdipatnam.
MBBS, MD (Pulmonary Medicine), MS Clin Inf (USA), Fellowship (USA). Director of City Chest Clinic, Mehdipatnam and Senior Consultant Pulmonologist at KIMS Hospitals, Gachibowli.
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Asthma Treatment at City Chest Clinic, Hyderabad
Mehdipatnam · Mon–Sat, 6:00 PM – 9:00 PM · KIMS Gachibowli · Mon–Sat, 10:00 AM – 4:00 PM
About Dr. S.A. Rafi