ARTICLES

Asthma Medications

Despite the fact that asthma is the most prevalent of chronic respiratory disorders in children and adults around the world, there is still no cure for this disease. There is, however, an increasing number of asthma medications and options for those that have the condition. Asthma may be more problematic in some individuals than others, so not all people with asthma will have to use all the various treatments.

There is usually a certain amount of experimentation needed to determine the exact levels of asthma medications and preventative treatments that need to be used to successfully manage conditions. Often asthma conditions will become worse at certain times of the year or in certain places or environments, so keeping good, concise records of what was happening, where the individuals were and what changes were occurring in the environment when the asthma worsened, can help medical professionals determine the most effective treatment option or options.

The most commonly used asthma treatments are:

Bronchodilators – these are quick acting medicines that are designed to relax or cause the muscles to release around airways, allowing air to pass more freely. These medications are in the form of inhalers and the most preferred are beta-agonists that are strong and extremely effective even in extremely severe attacks.

Inhaled Corticosteroids – these are also a type of inhaled medication that works over a long period of time to reduce the overall swelling and inflammation in the airways to prevent the sudden asthmatic attacks that are made even more severe by chronic swelling.

Long acting inhaled bronchodilators – usually used for overnight relief in severely asthmatic patients, these medications work, in conjunction with the inhaled corticosteroids, to constantly release the muscle tension in airways.

Leukotriene modifiers – these medications are used in conjunction with the inhaled corticosteroids for severe cases of asthma or administered by themselves for mild cases of asthma.

Theophylline – this is either a liquid, capsule or long-release capsule that is taken at very specific dosages to relax the muscles throughout the respiratory tract. The dosage needs to be very carefully monitored and any complications with breathing, heart rate or seizures should be immediately reported to a doctor.

There are other asthma medications, such as cromolyn and nedocromil that are often prescribed for very mild but chronic cases of asthma.

In addition to just taking medications on a regular basis or during an asthma attack, most patients also monitor their lung performance using a peak flow meter. This device helps patients read how well their respiratory system is functioning and allows them to take medications in a proactive way rather than after the attack has started.

There are many new long-term asthma medications being developed. The new varieties have fewer side effects and can be used with more severely asthmatic patients than the older styles of medicine. Researchers are also working on determining exactly what causes asthma so that more preventative steps can be taken in the future and more effective asthma medications can be developed.