Asthma Treatment - A Two-Pronged Approach By Gerd Van Hass

Asthma treatment is usually focused on providing relief to the symptoms of the disease as well as on managing the problem. You see, asthma is a long-term illness that really does not have any cure. What you can hope for in an treatment is the prevention of an asthma attack and the shutting off of its many annoying symptoms, which include shortness of breath and coughing. Also, your plan of attack against this respiratory problem should include the prevention of full blown attacks that may result in being brought to the hospital for medication. Although only a handful of asthma sufferers end up dying because of the disease, you should not take this problem lightly.

There are actually two ways of administering treatment at home. The first one is providing quick relief drugs and medications. This asthma treatment is used to provide fast relief to asthma attacks or flare-ups. The most common medication for a sudden flare up of this disease is inhaled short-acting beta2-agonists. Such drugs are fast acting and help in easing the tight muscles found in the air passageways. An inhaler is usually used at the first sign of an asthma symptom. However, this is not intended for long-term use. If you observe that you have been using your inhaler for more than two weeks, then it is time for you to go to your doctor to seek long-term medical treatment.

In order to allay symptoms of asthma, many people undergo long-standing asthma treatment, which is the second type of asthma medication. The objective of this approach of dealing with the problem is not only to ease the tightening of muscles around the air passageways, but also to reduce inflammation in the area. However, it is important to note that this type of asthma treatment does not provide fast relief to asthma symptoms.

The most common asthma treatment used for long-term management of the disease is inhaled corticosteroids, which are known to be effective in easing swelling of the air passageways. Individuals who have been taking long-term asthma medication report that asthma flare-ups have become rare and less severe. However, this type of treatment, although quite effective, has its side effects which include oral thrush. It is quite important that before you take asthma medications, you have to seek advice from your doctor first. Other medications used to manage asthma include corticosteroid liquid formulations of pills and leukotriene modifiers, which are also designed to minimize attacks and open up airways.