Asthma Symptoms, Drugs & Treatment

by | Mar 1, 2017 | Asthma | 0 comments

Asthma is an inflammatory disease of the lungs. It is a chronic inflammatory disease commonly found worldwide. Asthma affects not only adults but also young children. Asthma impacts usually start in childhood. Asthma has no cure.

You cannot completely get over this disease, but you can surely control the symptoms. If you have asthma, even if you do not feel the symptoms, you need to be careful every time, as an asthma attack can flare up at any time.

Asthma patients have swollen inner walls of the airways. As a result, they are very sensitive to allergens or irritants.

Signs and Symptoms of Asthma:

The symptoms include the following:

  • Shortness of breath
  • Chest tightness
  • Breathless/wheezing
  • Coughing
  • Excessive sputum production from the lung that is often very hard to bring up

Symptoms and their intensity vary day and night. Patients often report symptoms becoming very intense as temperatures drop in the evening or early morning. The condition often worsens after an exercise that is very strenuous.

If you have the above symptoms, they could be due to asthma, but it is not certain until you go for a thorough check-up. Many other diseases may also produce the same symptoms. An asthma attack can be dangerous if it is sudden; in many cases, it can also become fatal.

Asthma Medications List 

What are the risk factors for asthma?

There are many risk factors for asthma, ranging from genetic factors to environmental exposures. Here are the triggers that can initiate an asthma attack:

  1. Allergens: the common allergens include:
  • Animal dander that may be in the form of the skin, hair, or feathers of animals
  • Dust mites
  • Cockroaches’ remains/wastes
  • Pollen grains from plants, trees and grasses
  • Moulds and other fungal spores
  1. Irritants: the familiar irritation-causing factors are:
  • Change in temperature
  • Too much exercise
  • Cold weather
  • Strong odour
  • Pollen grains
  • Pet fur
  • Smoke from cigarettes
  • Too much stress and emotional outbursts
  1. Other factors:

Some other factors that may cause the asthma outburst are pollutants, gastric reflux problems, infection, food additives, and some side effects of medicines like aspirin and beta blockers.

Types of asthma:

Asthma can be of different types, and you need to be aware of those various kinds of asthma so that you can get medical assistance as soon as you experience a breathing problem.

  1. Allergic asthma: if your allergies are causing you a cough, wheeze, and sneeze
  2. Cough variant asthma: if you have a frequent cough, get checked up
  3. Work-related asthma is a type of asthma also known as occupational asthma
  4. Nocturnal asthma: if you experience frequent outbursts of asthma at night

What is the method of Diagnosis of asthma?

The diagnosis of asthma need not include any precise tests. The doctor may just analyse the prolonged symptoms of asthma and the different medical conditions associated with asthma. Then the doctor may conclude that the indications are associated with the disease.

In some cases, the doctor may advise taking a few tests and observations to confirm the presence of illness, such as:

  • Medical history test: the doctor may ask a few questions about the patient’s family history of allergies and asthma. Patients with close relatives who have asthma, especially from the maternal side, have a higher risk of developing it. The doctor may also check the medicines the person has used for breathing problems. He may also ask about the period during which the disease occurred. He may inquire about the frequency of occurrence of coughs and colds.
  • Tests: the doctor may check for allergies, breathing problems, sinus disease and GERD. He may recommend tests like an X-ray and an ECG for diagnosis.

 Treatment of asthma:

It is very necessary to manage asthma, as there is no permanent cure for it.  But asthma symptoms can vary, and you have to manage them with proper safety measures, lifestyle changes, and the recommended medications. Ask your doctor for a complete list of your asthma medications, including their dosages and prices.

The treatment list of asthma has two main classes:

  1. Quick relief to treat acute conditions
  • Beta –adrenoceptor agonists, e.g., Salbutamol
  • Anticholinergic medication, e.g., Ipratropium bromide
  • Adrenergic agonists, e.g., Epinephrine
  1. Long-term control medicines
  • Corticosteroids e.g Beclomethasone
  • Beta –adrenoceptor agonist, e.g., Salmeterol
  • Leukotriene antagonists, e.g., Montelukast
  • Mast cell stabilisers, e.g., cromolyn sodium

The review of asthma medications also suggests different delivery methods. The two particular types of inhalers are used for the treatment and delivery:

  • Mastered Dose Inhalers (MDI)
  • Dry Powder Inhaler (DPI)

Another kind of inhaler, known as a breath-actuated asthma inhaler, is also available in the market. It is a type of MDI, but the person needs to breathe in with enormous force to trigger the medication.

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Marie is an experienced content writer specializing in health and beauty topics. With a passion for wellness and skincare, she creates engaging, well-researched articles that inspire readers to look and feel their best.

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