Asthma is a chronic lung disease which can affect people of all ages. More than 22 million worldwide suffer from asthma. You can have an asthma attack at any time especially if you are exposed to any elements that can trigger it. There is no cure for asthma, but it can be controlled.
Today, there is already a significant amount of treatment methods to prevent an attack and to avoid it from worsening. Asthma can be controlled with the proper treatments. These treatments can help reduce the frequency, severity and length of asthma attacks. There are different factors which cause asthma and knowing these factors also help in preventing you from experiencing an attack.
There are two types of asthma treatments: long-term control and quick-relief medications. Long-term control medications need to be taken every day. Its main purpose is to control persistent asthma. It also helps in controlling the inflammation of the airways. A person with asthma tends to have a more sensitive airway and anything that passes through it can cause irritation.
Examples of long-term control medications include Inhaled Corticosteriods (fluticasone), long-acting beta-2 agonists, LABAs (salmetarol), Leukotriende modifiers (montelukast), Cromolyn and Nedocramil, and Theophylline.
Meanwhile, quick-relief medications or what is also called rescue medications are taken to rapidly relieve symptoms during an asthma attack. The medication helps relax the bronchial smooth muscle.
Examples include short-acting beta-2 agonists (albuterol), Ipratropium (atrovent), and oral and intravenous corticosteroids.
For allergy-induced asthmas, medications include Immunotheraphy, in which patients are given allergy-desensitization shots to gradually reduce the immune system’s reaction to allergens. Aside from Immunotherapy, patients may also be given Anti-IgE monoclonal antibodies.
Aside from the two types of medications, your doctor may also prescribe a different set of medicines. Some patients, especially those who experience severe asthma attacks, may even be prescribed steroid tablets. If the standard treatments are not suitable for you, or you may have side-effects to some medicines and your asthma attacks are still not controlled, tablets such as monteluklast (Singulair), zafirlukast (Accolate) or Theophylline (Slo-Phyllin) are prescribed. Another asthma treatment that is most commonly used is the nebuliser, which is composed of water and asthma medicine that is used to breathe in.
Just like any other disease, it is best to consult your doctor for proper diagnosis. Your doctor can determine the mildness or severity of your asthma and can prescribe a treatment plan that you can follow. Never prescribe a medicine on your own, as this can only make matters worse. Aside from your medications, you should also be aware of any triggers and how to avoid it. Regularly visit your doctor for updates and tips on what and what not to do during an attack. You may also use a peak flow meter which will help you determine how forcefully you are able to exhale. Your doctor can teach you the proper way of using it.