Introduction
Asthma can be effectively treated, and most asthmatics can control their asthma well. When asthma is under control, patients can:
- Avoid troublesome symptoms
- Need no reliever medication or need rarely
- Have physically active lives
- Have normal or improved lung function
- Avoid serious asthma episodes
What is asthma? How to manage asthma? This blog will help you get handy info on asthma. Below are the most effective treatment options that help you learn how to control asthma easily.
Asthma is a common and potentially serious respiratory condition that burdens patients, their families, and their loved ones. It causes respiratory symptoms, flare-ups, and limitations of activity that sometimes require urgent health care and may be life-threatening.
What Are the Symptoms of Asthma?
The respiratory condition causes chest tightness, cough, wheezing, and shortness of breath. Factors that may trigger or worsen asthma include stress, viral infections, allergens (pollens, cockroaches, and house dust mites), exercise, and tobacco smoke. When asthma is uncontrolled, these responses are more likely responsible when asthma is not adequately controlled. Some medications can induce or trigger asthma; these are beta blockers, aspirin or other NSAIDs (non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs.
How to Control Asthma?
Control means the extent to which the effects of the respiratory condition can be visible in an asthmatic or have been reduced or eliminated by treatment.
Poor symptoms can cause a burden on a patient and is a risk factor for flare-ups (also called exacerbations or attacks).
Risk factors are factors responsible for increasing the patient’s future risk of exacerbations, lung function loss, and adverse medication effects.
Treatment Options To Control Symptoms & Minimize Asthma Risk
It includes:
- Medications
- Treating modifiable risk factors
- Non-pharmacological treatments and strategies
In addition, every patient should also be trained in essential skills and guided asthma self-management, including:
- Adequation asthma information
- Proper inhaler use
- Adherence
- Carrying asthma written action plan
- Self-monitoring
- Following the regular medical appointment
Asthma treatment involves assessment, treatment adjustment, and review response.
- Assessment
- Diagnosis
- Symptoms control & risk factors
- Inhaler techniques & adherence
- Patient preference
- Treatment adjustment
- Asthma medications
- Non-pharmacological strategies
- Inhaler technique
- Review response
- Symptoms
- Exacerbation
- Adverse effects
- Patient Satisfaction
- Lung function
You can gain control over your asthma and avoid an attack by taking your medicine exactly as your health care specialist tells you and avoiding things that can trigger an attack.
Everyone who has asthma can’t take the same medicine. Some medications can be inhaled or breathed in, and some can be taken orally. Asthma medicines are divided into two categories, namely:
- Quick relief – Quick-relief medicines control the symptoms of an asthma attack. These contain a fast-acting drug such as albuterol. These drugs are sometimes known as rescue inhalers. They are used to quickly open your airways and widen your breathing passage. Knowing when to use asthma drugs can help prevent an impending asthma attack.
- Long-term control – These are the controller medicines that help you have fewer and milder attacks but don’t help you if you have a severe asthma attack. These include corticosteroids, which are the most important medications used to keep asthma under control. These are preventive medications that treat the airway inflammation contributing to asthma symptoms. These are advised to use daily to reduce or eliminate asthma flare-ups.
Long-term or controlled medications play an important role in keeping asthma controlled. If you frequently use a quick-relief inhaler to treat symptoms, your asthma isn’t under control. Talk to your doctor about making treatment changes. For best results, it is important to use asthma medications properly. You can buy asthma inhalers online to make your asthma symptoms under control.
Asthma medicines can have side effects, but most are mild and soon resolve. Ask your health care specialist about the side effects associated with the medicine. One of the most important things is to remember- you can control symptoms. You can create your asthma action plan with your doctor’s help. Keep the plan with yourself and take your long-term control medicine even when you don’t have symptoms.
Takeaway.
Asthma symptoms and severity of episodes are always changing. Following your asthma action plan will help you avoid asthma attacks and minimize the disruptions caused by asthma symptoms. Fix an appointment with your doctor to review your treatment. Also, take your asthma action plan with you to review it with your doctor and make any required changes to your treatment plan.
