Treating Asthma

The first step in treating asthma is to identify what triggers your asthma and work to eliminate or reduce them in your environment. This may mean limiting outdoor time during allergy season, or when a high smog index is in effect. Or having outdoor pets and setting up a air filters in your home. To get a complete guide on how to help reduce triggers, check out page 38 on this pdf. (Asthma Guidelines) and reference the table titled "How to Control Things That Make Your Asthma Worse".  If avoiding triggers doesn't help enough, your doctor may also recommend getting an allergy shot. 

Now let's talk about some of the medication options for asthma. The first line of defense is a fast acting inhaler to combat asthma attacks immediately. These are called bronchodilaters, or short-acting beta2-agonists. They dilate the bronchials, or airways, by relaxing the muscles that surround them. If you're needing to use the bronchodilators too frequently, your doctor will likely prescribe medication that you take daily to work consistently in lowering inflammation in your airways. The most common are inhaled corticosteroids that work to reduce the swelling and mucus secretion and cause airways to be less sensitive to triggers. Most people with asthma will need both bronchodilaters and inhaled corticosteroids and some medications are a combination of an inhaled corticosteroid and long acting bronchodilator. Here's a video that explains the difference between a rescue inhaler and a control inhaler: Asthma Medication: Control vs. Rescue 

Some common side effects of asthma medication include heart palpitations, a cough, or dry mouth. This chart breaks down specific side effects for each medication and when to discuss it with your doctor:Medication Side Effect Chart. A spacer is also recommended to allow more medication to be inhaled and reduce the effects an inhaler might cause in your mouth, or at the back of your throat. Here is a picture of a spacer and how it is used: 

For a more detailed explanation of asthma medications check out this awesome video: 

  

References: 

Expert Panel Report 3 (EPR-3): Guidelines for the Diagnosis and Management of Asthma - Summary Report 2007. (n.d.). Retrieved February 13, 2015, from http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health-pro/guidelines/current/asthma-guidelines/summary-report-2007

Asthma Facts Slideshow: Symptoms of Asthma, Causes, and Treatments. (n.d.). Retrieved February 13, 2015, from http://www.webmd.com/asthma/ss/slideshow-asthma-overview

Diseases & Conditions. (n.d.). Retrieved February 13, 2015, from http://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/diseases_conditions/hic_Asthma_An_Overview/hic_Medications_for_Treating_Asthma