Asthma Treatment
There is no known cure for asthma, as such, the treatment of asthma is designed to lessen the impact of the symptoms on your life. The first step is to meet with your health-care provider. Once asthma is diagnosed, he or she should help you design an appropriate treatment plan. This plan should one or more of the following:
Triggers:
 With your health-care provider, try to pinpoint which asthma triggers you are sensitive too. Then, examine your surrounding environment to determine where you are coming into contact with these triggers. Then, do what you can to reduce your exposure to them.
As we have discussed previously, there are hundreds of triggers and they cannot all be eliminated. However, if cat allergen is one of your triggers, then you probably should not own a cat and your carpets should be vacuumed regularly. If tree pollen is a trigger, you should understand the seasonal pattern of when trees release their pollen spores in your local area. During this time, you should stay inside as much as possible and perhaps wear a filter mask when outside.
Please remember that asthma causes stress and anxiety in those suffering from it’s effects and that this is a trigger for further asthma attacks as well. Part of your comprehensive treatment plan may involve working with a psychotherapist to develop tools for dealing with this stress and anxiety. This should be discussed with your health-care provider when laying out your comprehensive treatment plan.
Short Term Relief:
 There are treatments that are designed to reduce the impact of an asthma attack in the early stages. These bronchodilating or relieving drugs help dilate or open up the bronchial tubes allowing better air flow to the lungs.
Relieving drugs work on a part of our nervous system called the “sympathetic nervous system”. Drugs that effect the sympathetic nervous system are called “beta-agonist drugs”. The sympathetic nervous system controls the tone of the bronchial tubes by counteracting the constricting impulses. The sympathetic system has three types of receptors, or signal boxes, that regulate your heart rate, blood pressure, and bronchial tone. The first type of receptor is called the “alpha” receptor and this works to tighten muscles and increases mucus production. The second type of receptor is called the “beta-1” receptor and it increases heart rate and blood pressure. The third type of receptor is called the “beta-2” receptor which is the bronchodilator receptor that relaxes smooth muscle and decreases the production of mucus. The beta-2 receptor is the preferred target of short term relief drugs as it stops the wheezing and allows one to breath easier again.
Usually, short term relief drugs are aerosol based as that allows them to have much quicker effect. The first drug to be used as a short term relief aerosol was adrenaline. When breathed in, adrenaline would stimulate the beta-2 receptor and help open up your bronchial tubes making breathing easier. It also had a negative effect in that it stimulated the beta-1 receptor as well by increasing your heart rate and blood pressure. Adrenaline is still available but drugs that still target the beta-2 receptor but have less of an effect on the beta-1 receptor have been developed. These drugs include terbutaline (Brethine), bitolterol (Tornalate), pirbuterol (Maxair), and albuterol (Proventil or Ventolin). Albuterol is one of the most effective and widely used short term bronchodilator.
Long Term or Controlling Drugs:
Controlling or anti-inflammatory drugs are designed to help you control asthma beyond the immediate discomfort. They work in a variety of ways and as always, the use of any drug should be part of your comprehensive treatment plan set up by your health-care provider.
Cromolyn Sodium:
The first controller drug developed was cromolyn sodium or Intal. Cromoly sodium was originally delivered to your lungs in powder form using a unique propeller-driven device. Cromolyn is said to inhibit the release of mediators from the mast cell and some feel it is useful in treating mild, persistent asthma. An Intal solution has now been developed that can be administered via a nebulizer (mister).
Cortisone:
Cortisone fights inflammation and can act on every cell and gland involved in asthma. Cortisone has been used as an asthma controlling drug for over 25 years now. Early on, it was taken orally but the dosage was too strong and it had adverse side effects such as slow healing and excessive weight gain. Later on, inhalers were developed to allow cortisone to be delivered in lower dosages. It has become one of the most powerful and popular long term asthma controlling drugs available. There are a large variety of cortisone based controlling drugs available. Which one works best for your asthma should be discussed with your health-care provider.
Treating your asthma can go on for a very long time. Months, even years. Some people even stay on asthma medications for the rest of their lives. The best way to reduce the need for medications is to live a healthy, active life, and reduce your exposure to all your known asthma triggers.
Removing yourself from the triggers that set off your asthma is the best medicine in the long run. If you are a smoker, you will need to quit ASAP. Your medical treatments will of course be based on how severe your asthma is.
Your doctor will prescribe the medications that are appropriate for you. Inhalers are the most common treatment for asthma especially those with a mild case. More severe cases will need nebulizers and tablets to control their asthma and any underlying issues the asthma has caused.
There are three main types of asthma medication. Prevention medication, relief medication and emergency treatment.
When you start experiencing an asthma attack you will need to take relief medication. This is usually done with inhalers that can fit into your pocket. If the patient needs a larger dose of treatment then the inhaler can give, they will be placed on a nebulizer machine.
Prevention medicines tackle the root cause of the problem, the inflammation and mucus. Inhaled glucocorticoids and antihistimines are popular types of prevention medicine. Your doctor of course will know what you need and you should never self medicate.
Emergency medicines or treatment are for severe cases, sometimes life or death. If an asthma attack is not responding to normal medication, emergency treatment is needed ASAP. Nebulizers and oxygen are usually given.
There is of course the alternative medicine route which alot of people are taking now days. Nearly half of all asthma patients use an alternative medication as well as the medications their doctors give them.
A Russian breathing exercise has proven to reduce the need for regular asthma medication, it is called Buteyko.
Please click on the following links for more detailed articles.
- Asthma Cures
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