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Asthma
The Causes and Risks of
Asthma
Diagnosing Asthma
Complications of Asthma
Treatment of Asthma
Prevention of Asthma
Treatment of Asthma
The treatment of asthma usually consists of one of three
methods and will depend on the age of the patient and
the persistence of symptoms.
1) Bronchodilator medications (inhalers) can relieve acute asthma
symptoms and prevent asthma flare-ups.
2) Corticosteroids and other medications act by
suppressing airway inflammation over the short or long term.
3) Immunotherapy or allergy desensitization shots
Bronchodilators
Bronchodilators act to open up constricted airways and give
temporary relief of asthma symptoms. Bronchodilators can be
both short and long acting.
Fluticasone is a steroid. It
prevents the release of substances in the body that cause
inflammation. Salmeterol is a bronchodilator. It works by
relaxing muscles in the airways to improve breathing.
Advair inhalation is used to
prevent asthma attacks. It is used only to prevent asthma
attacks, not to treat an attack already in progress. It will
not work fast enough to give relief during an attack.
Advair may also be used for
purposes other than those listed in this medication guide.
Types of Bronchodilators
1) Beta-2 agonists
These are considered either short acting or long acting.
Short acting beta-2 agonists begin working within a couple of
minutes and will last from 2 - 4 hours. They are usually used
to avoid asthma flare ups and to address asthma symptoms. Long
acting beta-w agonists can last as long as 12 hours.
The most common beta-2 medications include albuterol (Ventolin,
Proventil) and pirbuterol (Maxair). These
drugs work quickly for symptom relief and are often used for
prevention of an asthma flare up prior to common triggers,
such as exercise or breathing cold air. These inhaled beta-2
agonists are commonly overused and do not actually address the
underlying problems of airway inflammation.
Ipratropium (Atrovent) is a bronchodilator that is an
anticholinergic. It is not commonly used to address asthma
symptoms.
Salmeterol (Serevent) and formoterol (Foradil)
are long acting bronchodilators. They can actively relieve
airway constriction for up to 12 hours. Often used at night,
they act to prevent the symptoms of asthma as opposed to fast acting
medication used during an asthma attack. These bronchodilators
are generally used in conjunction with anti inflammatory
medications.
Theophylline (Slo-Bid, Theo-Dur) is taken orally every
day and used primarily to reduce nighttime symptoms of asthma.
Side effects are quite common, including abdominal pain,
nausea, nervousness and diarrhea. Taking the correct dosage is
vital. These have also been linked to the development of
gastroesophogeal reflux disease.
2) Anti-inflammatory treatment for asthma
Anti-inflammatory drugs are the most common long term
medications used to prevent asthma attacks. These medications
act by reducing airway inflammation and by preventing the
blood vessels from leaking mucus and fluid into the airway.
The most common of these drugs are corticosteroids.
Corticosteroids
These drugs are widely considered the most effective
medications for asthma and should not be confused with the
steroids taken by some athletes.
Corticosteroids include prednisone, cortisone, prednisolone, triamcinolone, hydrocortisone and several others.
Corticosteroids decrease the frequency of asthma attacks and
lessen the need for other asthma medications used to treat
asthma symptoms. Long term use of both intravenous or oral
corticosteroids can result in serious side effects, including
osteoporosis, muscle weakness, high blood pressure and
susceptibility to infection. The inhaled corticosteroids
present fewer side effects. Corticosteroid medications include beclomethasone (Vanceril, Beclovent), budesonide (Pulmicort), fluticasone (Flovent) and flunisolide (Aerobid).
Inhaled corticosteroids can affect the growth of children
and should be monitored carefully when used by children. Long
term use of inhaled corticosteroids has been linked with an
increased risk of developing cataracts.
Leukotriene modifiers
Leukotriene modifiers include montelukast (Singulair), zafirlukast (Accolate) and zileuton (Zyflo).
These medications act by reducing the production of, or
blocking the action of, leukotrienes. Leukotrienes are
substances that are released by cells in your lungs during an
asthma attack and cause the lining of your airways to become
inflamed. This results in shortness of breath, wheezing and
the production of mucus. They are often used in conjunction
with other asthma medications to help prevent asthma attacks.
3) Immunotherapy
For those who suffer from allergic asthma and controlling the
disease by avoiding the triggers isn't possible, allergy
desensitization shots (immunotherapy) are often used. Skin
tests are completed to determine what allergens trigger an
asthmatic episode or asthma symptoms. These will be followed
by injections of very small doses of the problem allergen(s).
These injections are usually received weekly for several
months, then monthly for several years. Eventually, the
sensitivity to the allergen is lost over time. Side effects of
this treatment may occur if allergic reactions to the
immunotherapy shots is experienced. These reactions can be
life threatening in very rare cases.
The
American
Academy of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology provides
outstanding resources for those suffering from asthma and it's
complications. For parents of asthmatic children,
the Allergy &
Asthmatic Network Mothers of Asthmatics offers excellent
information for both parents and children. |
