Quick Facts: Asthma Care
Asthma symptoms may include coughing, wheezing, shortness of breath, chest tightness, and nighttime breathing problems.
Asthma evaluations may include spirometry (lung function testing), allergy testing, and a review of symptoms and potential triggers.
Personalized asthma treatment may include inhaler management, allergy immunotherapy, asthma action plans, and biologic therapies for eligible patients.
Asthma and Allergy Care in Cypress, TX
Breathe Easier. Stay Active. Take Control of Your Asthma.
Whether you're dealing with a persistent cough, wheezing during exercise, seasonal allergy triggers, or asthma that isn't improving, you deserve answers and a treatment plan that works for you.
At CLS Health Allergy & Immunology — North Cypress, Dr. Amber Hardeman provides personalized asthma care for children and adults, from new breathing concerns to severe and difficult-to-control asthma. As a fellowship-trained allergist and immunologist, she evaluates your breathing symptoms and allergies or other factors that may be making them worse.
Her goal is to help reduce asthma attacks, improve breathing, and support your ability to stay active and enjoy everyday life.
Conveniently located in North Cypress, the clinic serves patients throughout Cypress, Bridgeland, Towne Lake, Fairfield, Copperfield, Jersey Village, and surrounding northwest Houston communities.
Same-day appointments may be available.
When Should You See an Asthma Specialist?
You don't need to wait for a serious asthma attack to get help. Consider an evaluation if you notice:
- Frequent coughing, wheezing, shortness of breath, or chest tightness
- Coughing or breathing symptoms that wake you at night
- Difficulty keeping up with exercise, sports, school, work, or daily activities
- Symptoms that flare up around pollen, dust, pets, mold, or other exposures
- Frequent use of a quick-relief inhaler, repeated oral steroid courses, or urgent care visits
- Ongoing symptoms despite taking prescribed asthma medication
Not every cough or episode of wheezing is asthma. An evaluation can help identify what's causing your symptoms and determine the next steps.
What Can Trigger Asthma?
Asthma involves inflammation and narrowing of the airways. For some people, allergies play a major role, while others experience symptoms triggered by nonallergic factors or a combination of both.
Common allergic triggers include:
- Pollen from trees, grasses, and weeds
- Dust mites
- Pet allergens
- Cockroach allergens
- Mold
Nonallergic triggers may include:
- Respiratory infections
- Exercise
- Smoke and air pollution
- Strong odors
- Weather changes
Not every exposure is an allergy, and a positive allergy test doesn't automatically mean that allergen is causing your asthma.
When appropriate, Dr. Hardeman may recommend targeted allergy testing and review your symptom history to identify meaningful triggers and discuss ways to reduce exposure.
How Is Asthma Diagnosed?
Getting the diagnosis right is the first step toward effective treatment. Your visit with Dr. Hardeman may include:
- Symptom and health history: Reviewing your symptoms, previous asthma attacks, family history, and possible triggers.
- Spirometry (lung function testing): Measuring airflow, sometimes before and after an inhaled bronchodilator, to help evaluate airway narrowing and reversibility.
- Allergy testing: Identifying possible allergic triggers when your history suggests that allergies may contribute to symptoms.
- Medication and inhaler review: Assessing current medications, inhaler technique, and previous treatment response.
- Additional testing or referrals: Recommend further evaluation if the diagnosis remains uncertain or if another condition may be contributing.
Asthma can sometimes be present even when spirometry results are normal during a single visit. Dr. Hardeman will recommend testing and follow-up based on your individual needs.
Personalized Asthma Treatment Options
Asthma treatment isn't one-size-fits-all. Dr. Amber Hardeman develops personalized treatment plans based on your age, symptoms, risk of asthma flare-ups, and response to previous treatments.
Your asthma care plan may include:
- Asthma medications and inhaler management: Inhaled corticosteroid-containing medications and other controller or reliever therapies selected for your needs.
- Inhaler education and asthma action plans: Reviewing proper inhaler technique and creating a written plan to help you manage symptoms and recognize worsening asthma.
- Allergy treatment and immunotherapy: Managing allergies that contribute to asthma symptoms, including allergy shots for appropriately selected patients with controlled allergic asthma.
- Biologic therapies: Targeted medications for eligible patients with severe or difficult-to-control asthma.
- Ongoing monitoring: Tracking symptoms, lung function, asthma flare-ups, and treatment response to adjust your care plan when needed.
The goal is not just to manage your next flare-up. It's to reduce future asthma attacks, protect your lung health, and help you stay active and enjoy everyday life.
Severe or Difficult-to-Control Asthma
Still struggling with asthma despite treatment? There may be more options than you realize.
If you frequently need oral steroids, rely heavily on a rescue inhaler, have repeated urgent care or emergency visits, or continue experiencing symptoms despite prescribed treatment, a more detailed evaluation may help.
Severe and difficult-to-control asthma is a particular clinical interest of Dr. Amber Hardeman. She evaluates factors that may make asthma harder to manage, including:
- Inhaler technique and medication use
- Allergic triggers and environmental exposures
- Other health conditions that may affect asthma control
- Signs of allergic or eosinophilic inflammation
For eligible patients, Dr. Hardeman may recommend biologic therapies, which target specific pathways involved in asthma inflammation. These advanced treatments may help reduce flare-ups and improve asthma control in appropriately selected patients.
Not everyone needs advanced treatment, but everyone deserves a plan tailored to their asthma.
When asthma symptoms are an emergency: Call 911 if you experience severe difficulty breathing, trouble speaking because of breathlessness, blue or gray lips, or symptoms that do not improve with prescribed rescue treatment. Do not wait for an office appointment during a breathing emergency.
Asthma Care for Children and Adults
Asthma can affect children, teens, and adults differently. Some children experience coughing or wheezing during play or sports, while adults may develop new symptoms or notice changes in previously controlled asthma.
At CLS Health Allergy & Immunology — North Cypress, Dr. Amber Hardeman provides asthma evaluations and personalized treatment for children and adults of all ages. She tailors care to each patient's symptoms, age, and individual needs, helping patients and families better understand and manage asthma.
Why Choose Dr. Amber Hardeman?
At CLS Health Allergy & Immunology — North Cypress, Dr. Amber Hardeman combines fellowship training in allergy and immunology with a personalized approach to asthma care. Her focus is on understanding your symptoms, identifying contributing factors, and helping you achieve better asthma control.
Patients can benefit from:
- Specialized asthma expertise: Care for common and complex asthma, including severe and difficult-to-control cases.
- Comprehensive evaluations: Spirometry, allergy testing, and individualized assessments when clinically appropriate.
- Personalized treatment: Medication management, asthma action plans, allergen immunotherapy, and biologic therapies for eligible patients.
- Ongoing support: Patient education, follow-up visits, and treatment adjustments based on your progress.
- Convenient North Cypress care: Local asthma and allergy services with same-day appointments when available.
Whether you're experiencing new breathing symptoms or have struggled with asthma for years, Dr. Hardeman can help you better understand your condition and explore treatment options.
FAQs
Primary care providers can diagnose and manage many cases of asthma. An allergist like Dr. Amber Hardeman can help when allergies contribute to symptoms; the diagnosis is unclear, or asthma remains difficult to control.
Yes. Allergens such as pollen, dust mites, pet dander, cockroach allergens, and mold may worsen asthma symptoms in people who are sensitive to them. Allergy testing can help identify potential triggers when interpreted alongside your symptom history.
Common symptoms include wheezing, coughing, shortness of breath, chest tightness, nighttime breathing problems, and symptoms during exercise. These symptoms can also have other causes, so an evaluation is important.
Not always. Lung function may be normal between asthma episodes. Additional testing or follow-up may be needed if asthma is still suspected.
There is currently no cure for asthma, but many people can achieve good symptom control with appropriate medications, trigger management, and ongoing care.
Biologic medications may be appropriate for some patients with severe asthma. Dr. Hardeman can evaluate your symptoms, treatment history, and relevant biomarkers to determine whether you may qualify for these advanced treatments.
Call 911 for severe difficulty breathing, trouble speaking because of breathlessness, blue or gray lips, or symptoms that do not improve with prescribed rescue treatment. Do not wait for an office appointment during a breathing emergency.
Schedule an Asthma Appointment in Cypress, TX
If coughing, wheezing, chest tightness, or difficult-to-control asthma is affecting your daily life, Dr. Amber Hardeman at CLS Health Allergy & Immunology — North Cypress can help you understand your symptoms and explore personalized treatment options.
Book with Dr. Hardeman
Amber Hardeman
MD, MPH, MBA
Allergy and Immunology