Drug Treatments for Asthma
Asthma is a condition that affects the lungs and makes it difficult to breathe. Coughing, shortness or breath, chest tightness, and wheezing are additional asthma symptoms due to inflamed and swollen bronchi. Some people experience symptoms at all times, while others only do in certain situations. Situational asthma can be triggered by exercise, the work environment, or allergies. Getting treatment in necessary to control asthma-related symptoms, so visit your doctor to determine the best treatment options for you.
The point of treating asthma is so you are able to live your life without missing out on the things you love. Asthma treatment should be flexible, and ever-changing to reflect your current symptoms. Try to determine what your asthma triggers are, and avoid them when possible except for exercise. You and your doctor should create an asthma care plan so you know what to do when you experience asthma symptoms.
Treatments of Asthma
The typical asthma treatment includes a long-term control medication and a quick relief medication. They are bronchodilators, which means that they expand the passageways to your lungs allowing more air to pass in and out freely. Bronchodilators also help to break up mucus, so you are better able to cough it up. There are additional treatment options for those that need them.
Long-term asthma control medications
Long-term control medications are usually taken every day to prevent asthma symptoms and attacks. They are very important for asthma treatment because they are the first line of defense, and when taken and controlled correctly, quick relief medications should not need to be used very often. There are a few types of long-term asthma control medicines.
Inhaled corticosteroids
These are anti-inflammatory drugs used to help treat asthma. They are the most effective option for reducing airway hyperresponsiveness to asthma triggers. Steroids are strong drugs, so they should only be taken as directed by your doctor. Inhaled corticosteroids have been found to be safe and effective in treating asthma without as many side effects as oral corticosteroids for the long term.
Long-acting beta-agonists
These are used to open the airways and often used in conjunction with another long-term asthma control medications such as inhaled corticosteroids. They should not be taken on their own because they can actually increase the chance of a severe asthma attack.
Leukotriene modifiers
These are an oral medication that helps block the chain reaction of inflammation in the lungs that lead to asthma symptoms and attacks. There has been some evidence that leukotriene modifiers increase the likelihood of aggression, depression, hallucinations, and other psychological problems, so talk to your doctor if you notice anything different.
These and others can be taken in conjunction with one another so your asthma can be best controlled.
Quick relief or rescue asthma medications
Quick-relief asthma medications are used when you need quick relief from your asthma symptoms. If you experience exercise-induced asthma, they can also be used before exercise to help prevent symptoms. If your asthma is well controlled, you should not need to use quick-relief medications very often, but if you find yourself needing to use the more often than what your doctor recommended, you may need to adjust your long-term asthma control medications.
Inhaled short-acting beta agonists
These act with a few minutes of inhalation to ease the symptoms of an asthma attack by relaxing tight muscles around your airways increasing airflow. They are the most commonly used and first choice for most for rescue asthma medications. They should not be used more than twice per week, and if they are, talk to your doctor about adjusting your long-term control medications.
Anticholinergics
These are also inhaled bronchodilators that stop the muscles from constricting the airways during an asthma attack. They are able to do so when the muscles are already tight, so that is why anticholinergics are used as a rescue medication.
There are additional oral medications that can be used over a short length of time that your asthma symptoms have worsened. When your asthma is well controlled, you should not need to use quick-relief asthma medications very often, and if you do, your long-term control medications should be reevaluated.
Additional asthma treatment options
Aside from long-term and quick-relief asthma medications, there are additional treatment options available for certain situations.
Immunotherapy
This can be used when your asthma is triggered by an allergy. Allergy shots and sublingual tablets can be used to help control your allergies, which will, therefore, help control your asthma. Allergy shots are used to help build up your immunity to the allergen by injecting small, but increasing amounts of the allergen over time. Sublingual tablets are dissolved under the tough starting before allergy season, but should not be used if you have very severe or uncontrolled asthma.
Bronchial thermoplasty
This can be used for some people who have severe or uncontrolled asthma that doesn’t improve with other treatments. Bronchial thermoplasty makes it easier to breathe by using an electrode to heat the inside of the airways, reducing the muscle inside the airways. The airways are then limited in the amount they can tighten.
There are a number of treatment options for asthma, and a combination of both long-term control and quick-relief asthma medications are often necessary. Make sure to keep track of your symptoms, so you and your doctor are able to evaluate the status of your asthma. The goal is to take the least amount of medication to effectively control your symptoms.
