Most asthma medicines are breath in to the lungs using an inhaler. There are 2 main types of breath-activate inhalers; standard meter dose inhalers (MDIs) and dry powder inhalers, which contain the medicine in powder form.
Taking your medications correctly is the best way to manage asthma and its symptoms. This will help prevent flare-ups and keep the illness under control.
What is Asthma?
Asthma is a long-term (chronic) disease that affects the airways in your lungs. Asthma is different for everyone and symptoms can range from mild to severe. Symptoms can come on at any time and be hard to predict. Having asthma doesn’t stop people from leading normal, active lives but it is important to know your triggers and use white asthma inhaler inhaler when needed.
When you have an asthma attack, the bands of muscle that surround your airways tighten up. The lining of the airways becomes swollen and inflame and makes more mucus than usual. This can make it harder for you to breathe and cause wheezing, coughing and shortness of breath. Some people have very mild attacks while others have very severe attacks that can be life-threatening.
Some things can make you more likely to develop asthma, including:
Allergies (to pollen, pets, mold, cockroaches or dust mites) and respiratory infections like viral colds or pneumonia. Air pollution and second-hand smoke. Genetics (having someone else in your family who has allergies or asthma). A condition call gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) which causes stomach acid to enter the throat and irritate the lungs.
A common type of asthma is eosinophilic asthma (say: EE-oh-sin-oh-FILL-ick) which is cause by high levels of white blood cells in the airways of your lungs. These cells are usually there to help your body fight infection, but if they get too high it can cause inflammation in the lungs which leads to the symptoms of asthma.
Other types of asthma include occupational asthma which is cause by irritants or allergens in the workplace, and exercise-induce asthma which is trigger by physical exertion. It can be hard to diagnose because the symptoms can be so varied, but your doctor can check how well you are breathing with a simple test using a peak flow meter. They may also order blood tests to see if you have certain immune system chemicals that can lead to asthma, such as eosinophils or elevate IgE. These can help your doctor determine the best treatment for you.
Asthma Symptoms
When you have asthma, your lungs may be inflame and fill with extra sticky mucus. When this happens, your airways tighten and narrow, making it hard to breathe. This also causes you to cough and wheeze.
Your healthcare provider will determine your asthma severity level base on how often you have symptoms and how severe those symptoms are. He or she will also look at how well you can do your daily activities during an asthma attack. This is known as your asthma severity index.
If you have mild intermittent asthma, you may experience symptoms less than twice a week and they don’t interfere with your daily activities. You might use a rescue inhaler, which contains fast-acting medicines, a few times a month. You might also have a regular prescription for preventers, which are taken every day.
Mild persistent asthma means you have asthma symptoms at least three to six times a week and they affect your daily activities. You might also have a rescue inhaler, but you might need to use it more often. You might have a prescription for both preventers and rescue inhalers.
Severe persistent asthma means you have asthma symptoms every day, both during the day and night. You might have a rescue inhaler and take both preventers and other medications to control your symptoms. You might have a breathing test, like a peak flow meter, to check how well your treatment is working.
If your asthma isn’t controlled, you might have a life-threatening asthma attack. You may be unable to speak and you might have a bluish color around your lips (this is call cyanosis). Without aggressive treatment for this asthma emergency, you can lose consciousness.
You can help keep your asthma under control by avoiding things that trigger your symptoms, such as allergens like ragweed, pollen or animal dander; irritants, such as smoke, chemical fumes or strong odors; exercise and viral infections, such as the common cold or flu. Also, be sure to follow your written asthma action plan. Your healthcare providers will also review your treatment with you on a regular basis and make changes if necessary.
Asthma Treatment
Medications are the foundation of asthma treatment. They reduce inflammation and mucus in the airways, making it easier for air to enter and exit the lungs. There are several medicines available for long-term control and emergency relief, including inhale steroids, short-acting bronchodilators and immunomodulators.
Most people with asthma need daily medication to keep their symptoms under control. You may also need to take a preventative medicine on a regular basis. Your doctor will decide which medication is right for you base on your symptoms, how often they occur and their severity. Some people with milder symptoms can manage their asthma with a single inhale medication that contains an anti-inflammatory and a quick-acting bronchodilator, such as salbutamol. This is call single maintenance and reliever therapy (SMART).
Other people with more severe symptoms may need to take two medications, one to treat inflammation and the other to open the airways. New guidelines for managing asthma recommend this combination inhaler for most adults and adolescents over age 12.
People with intermittent symptoms can follow a simple strategy to lower their need for medication by keeping track of when their symptoms happen and what causes them. They can use a peak flow meter to monitor their symptoms, and they should see their doctor for regular checkups.
When your symptoms get worse, you should use your Round Inhaler right away. This will help ease the symptoms so that you can carry on with your day.
A nebulizer is a machine that turns asthma medicine into a fine mist that you breathe in through a mouthpiece or mask worn over the nose and mouth. It is use for infants and small children, people who are very ill or those who need large doses of medication.
Your healthcare provider should demonstrate how to use your inhaler properly and make sure you are getting the most benefit from it.
Asthma Medication
There are many different medications for asthma, including fast-acting bronchodilators call quick relievers, long-acting bronchodilators that keep airways open for four to six hours, and anticholinergics which can be taken alone or with short-acting bronchodilators to prevent or treat a flare. Patients may also need to take steroids to reduce inflammation in the lungs. These medications are typically taken daily.
Asthma symptoms can come on suddenly and are often unpredictable. This is why it’s important for people to use their asthma medication exactly as they are told, at the right time and in the correct way.
People can find their own ways of reducing the need for medication, including tracking their symptoms and working with a doctor or asthma nurse to set up an action plan. Some people have found it useful to talk to their GP or asthma nurse on the telephone, which can be easier than taking time off work and travelling to the surgery.
The CDC offers a wide range of tools, videos, toolkits, worksheets and PDFs to help people learn how to control their symptoms. People should also discuss their symptoms with their GP or asthma nurse at every visit to make sure they have the best medication plan.
Symptoms of asthma can change over time, and people should regularly check their progress, as well as how they’re using white inhaler with red cap and what might be triggering them. It’s also important for people to develop good relationships with their GP and asthma nurses so they can ask questions at any time about their symptoms, how to get the most out of their medication and any other concerns or worries they have.
When a person has good asthma control, they should only need to use their quick relief medicines a couple of times a week. They will have no problems at school, work and other activities and will rarely need to use their rescue inhaler.
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