Relieving discomfort and promoting ease with asthma treatment

Effective management of asthma requires regular observation of symptoms as well as tracking of your lung performance. If you indulge yourself actively in ongoing asthma treatments, it will help you to manage it better and keep it under control. A careful plan of asthma treatments can help you prevent asthma attacks and other asthma-related health conditions. 

With the help of your healthcare professional, you can create a treatment plan that can guide you to address your specific needs during the regimen. Before addressing the ways to control asthma, you need to understand what an asthma attack is and what asthma symptoms are.

What is an Asthma Attack?

The medical term for an asthma attack is exacerbation which happens when signs of asthma get worse. Asthma symptoms in adults and children may differ. The person suffering from the asthma attack, irrespective of age, may experience swollen airways and narrowing of bronchial tubes. These symptoms include shortness of breath, wheezing, increased heart rate, coughing, agitation, and confusion. Although this asthma attack may end quickly within a short period, it’s up to you how much aware and active you are in managing these asthma symptoms.

Steps to avoid exacerbation

1. Always try to keep track of your asthma symptoms

If you have asthma, it is recommended that you keep a diary in which you jot down the occurrence and time of symptoms so that it be conveyed to your healthcare professional accordingly. For adults, keeping an asthma diary is easy, but for children, this exercise can be done by their parents. You can use this asthma diary to note down the following things- 

• Time of the day you are feeling tightness in your chest.
• Disturbed sleep because of coughing or wheezing.
• How many days of the week are you experiencing disturbed sleep?
• How often do you have to use an asthma Quik relief inhaler?
• Asthma symptoms during exercise.
• What triggers asthma in your case?
• Are there any triggers responsible for asthma flare-ups?

Jotting down these simple things can help you, and your healthcare professionals manage the symptoms effectively.

Read more – Asthma exercises to keep your asthma under control

2. Record the Performance of Your Lungs

Your doctor may suggest tests like peak flow and spirometry to record how well your lungs are working. Your lungs’ performance in these tests indicates to your doctor whether your asthma is under control.

• Peak flow: This test is elementary and can be performed at home with the help of a device called a peak flow meter. You just need to blow into that device which will measure how fast you can force air out of your lungs in percentage. 
• Spirometry: This test is usually done in a clinic or hospital with the help of a spirometer device, which measures how much air your lungs can hold and how much air you can exhale in one second after taking a deep breath. 

3. Medications for Asthma Attack Treatment 

Quick-relief asthma treatments:

As the name suggests, these treatments aim to provide quick relief to the person having an asthma attack. They will help you to breathe again as soon as you take them.

a. Bronchodilators: 

These work within minutes and relax the tightened bronchial muscles clearing your airways and decreasing the symptoms quickly. They are usually taken with an inhaler or nebuliser.

b. A quick guide for managing an attack:

If you feel that a person in your vicinity is having an asthma attack, you can follow some quick steps to assist them in feeling better. Help the person to sit upright and help in using their inhaler. The number of puffs of the inhaler depends on the severity of the symptoms. If the symptoms persist even after 20 mins of the first appearance, then it is recommended that the person should be taken quickly to the hospital to seek medical attention. 

c. Long-term asthma medications

These medications manage asthma symptoms in the long term, and it should be noted that they do not manage immediate asthma attack symptoms. These medications include

d. Anti-inflammatories

These are taken with an inhaler, corticosteroids, and other anti-inflammatories and help reduce inflammation and mucus production in your airways.

e. Anticholinergics: 

These medications prevent the tightening of muscles of your airways and are usually taken along with other anti-inflammatories.

f. Long-acting bronchodilators: 

These are taken in combination with other anti-inflammatories and asthma medications.

g. Biologics 

When other medications do not manage asthma symptoms, doctors prefer biologics that target specific antibodies that cause inflammation in your airways. 

h. Bronchial thermoplasty

This is a minor invasion in which an electrode is used to heat the airways inside the lungs, preventing them from tightening. It is used for patients with severe asthma symptoms and can provide relief for up to 5 years.

Prevention of Asthma 

The exact cause of asthma is still unknown, but being aware of some ways can help you prevent asthma attacks. These strategies include

• Try to avoid asthma triggers 
• Try to stay away from allergens 
• Always keep a bronchodilator with you
• Get allergy shots

Read more – Tips to prevent asthma attacks

Conclusion

Asthma can be managed effectively only if you know all the triggers and preventive measures. Keeping good communication with your doctor helps you as well as your doctor in its effective management. You can get free teleconsultation from our expert doctors once you order medicine on our online pharmacy – Truemeds, or you can also download our Truemeds app. You can avail of branded and generic medication by uploading your prescription on Truemeds. When placing an order for medicines online, you may save more money by selecting alternative or generic medicine advised by Truemed’s expert doctors. You can save up to 72% on your purchase and get free home delivery* pan India.

Frequently asked questions

References

• https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK531455/
• https://aafa.org/asthma/asthma-treatment/
• https://www.aaaai.org/tools-for-the-public/drug-guide/short-acting-beta-agonists-(sabas)
• https://www.thoracic.org/patients/patient-resources/resources/asthma-quick-relief-bronchodilators.pdf