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About
Asthma » Treatment
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Since there is no effective treatment for asthma, patients must learn to manage the disease so that they can lead a normal life. If properly managed, asthma can be changed to a minor annoyance from a major crisis.
Asthma treatment generally consists of two parts.
Part 1: Identify the trigger and take steps to control or remove triggers
Part 2: Lessening inflammation and hyper-reactivity of the airways through medication and other means.
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Part
1
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Trigger |
What you can do |
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Allergens |
Animal
dander |
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Dust mites, dust |
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Cover your mattress in plastic encasings
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Wash your pillows, bed sheets and blankets weekly in hot water
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Mold |
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Pollen |
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Avoid exposure to flowers
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Days that are dry and breezy have higher pollen counts, so exercise indoors to avoid allergens.
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Avoid outdoor activities in the morning
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Irritants |
Smoke |
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Aerosols, perfumes |
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Exercise |
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Cold Air |
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Avoid staying out when it is cold·
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Do not consume frozen foods, ice-cream, cool drinks and cool water
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Part
II
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Several different classes of drug are used in the treatment of asthma, which can be divided into two categories:
Bronchodilators (or reliever medications):
Bronchodilators are agents that relax bronchial smooth muscle and relieve the bronchoconstriction that is characteristic of asthma. There are 3 main classes of bronchodilators:
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B2 –agonists
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Anticholinergics
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Methylxanthines
Bronchodilators are used to provide symptomatic relief of asthma, but do not address the underlying disease process.
Anti-inflammatories (or ‘preventer’ medications):
Anti-inflammatory agents are taken on a regular basis to suppress the inflammation that is central to asthma and to prevent asthma symptoms. They are used to provide long-term asthma control. The main classes of anti-inflammatory agents used in the management of asthma are:
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