Know Your Asthma Treatment

Understanding and managing your asthma medications is an important step towards gradually eliminating the negative effects of this condition. Here are a few general things that you should remember when it comes to your asthma medication:

· Let your doctor know if you are taking any other types of medication. Some medication types can affect the actions of asthma medications when combined.

· Before preparing or taking medications you should make sure your hands are clean.

· Double-check the instructions on the asthma treatment medication before taking it.

· Store the asthma drugs according to given instructions.

· The best asthma control can be achieved if you follow your asthma chart. Following the guidelines set by your doctor will increase the effectiveness of asthma inhalers and asthma medication

· Ask your doctor to describe medication side effects, although these are rare and of reduced danger.

· Make sure to always have sufficient supplies of medication nearby.

· Check out the links below for more relevant asthma control medication

There are two main components related to asthma that you can use specialized medications for: the airway inflammation and the constriction of the air passage muscles. Asthma medication is mostly used to prevent inflammation, thus reducing the negative effects of the condition and eliminating chances for asthma attacks. Here are the main types of asthma medications: http://www.asthmaxpert.com

Asthma control medication

This sort of medication has to be taken on a daily basis for extended periods of time. Getting control of asthma is now possible, but only if the asthma treatment is carried our consciously and without interruptions. Persistent asthma can be subdued is the right medication is prescribed for the patient. Activity impairing asthma attacks are less frequent when the proper asthma medication is used, a fact that determines many patients to follow their asthma treatment continuously. Among long term asthma medications you will find anti inflammatory drugs, corticosteroids, beta agonists and bronchodilators.

Asthma attack medication

Most quick relief medications are also very efficient during asthma attacks. Short acting bronchodilators and beta-agonists are some of the drugs commonly used to relieve asthma symptoms. Some systemic corticoids are also found in asthma medication designed for attack stoppage.

By: Michael Rad

Asthma Types and Its Symptoms

Asthma can happen to anybody. Asthma starts at all ages. If Asthma is detected in childhood, that is between the ages of two to six, it is mainly due to the exposure to allergens, pollens, smoke and dust particles or mites.
It is very difficult to diagnose whether the child has asthma or not. In many cases, the child shows symptoms which resemble the onset of asthma, but when observed carefully, the child does not get asthma. Adults may also get asthma. The main reason behind getting asthma in adults is respiratory tract infection.

There are two types of asthma.

1. Extrinsic 2. Intrinsic

Extrinsic asthma is the most common type of asthma seen in asthma patients. Extrinsic asthma develops due to allergies and allergens. Extrinsic asthma develops during childhood, since children are most susceptible to allergies. Most allergies in children are due to hay fever, eczema or family history of allergies.

These allergies disappear as the child grows up and so does asthma, but they may reappear in later stages of life. Intrinsic type of asthma occurs mostly in women who are in their 30s. It is not associated with allergies and intrinsic type of asthma is more chronic and perennial.

The cause of intrinsic asthma can be traced to respiratory tract infections. Asthma also has categorizations based on the intensity of the disease Asthma can be mild, moderate and severe Mild asthma is found in 30% of the patients.

Patients with mild asthma do not have frequent attacks and can be cured or minimized with some precautions in dietary habits and lifestyle and a periodic checkup. These sorts of people do not need attention at all times and are self-supporting in case of an attack.

There is almost an equal percentage of people who have moderate asthma. These patients have moderately mild attacks and have the attacks more frequently. Proper medication and precautions must be taken to help the patient remain healthy.

Severe asthma patients require urgent medical attention, as the attacks are frequent and severe. The symptoms of Asthma are almost the same in all cases.

The intensity and the frequency of such attacks increase. Asthma is definitely curable and the frequency of attacks can be minimized with proper support and precautions.

Visit Bjorn Gutter's website at http://asthma--treatment.blogspot.com

Tips On Managing Your Asthma

It is very important for asthma patients to keep a check on their asthma by managing and controlling the symptoms. Taking medication as instructed by the physician and keeping away from things that affect the airways are the easiest ways of keeping control over asthma. It is very important to learn what natural remedies are available at hand, how diet can affect the asthma symptoms and most importantly how to take care of yourself when you are suffering from asthma

The key is to identify the factors affecting your airways and then devising methods of avoiding them

Any number of factors may trigger asthma. One should stop smoking and not permit others to smoke in ones home. One should stay indoors if high pollen content is found in air. In order to check the dust mites' one should get special dust-proof coverings of the mattresses and make sure the blankets, pillows, sheets, stuffed toys and curtains are washed at least once a week preferably in hot water.

People with asthma complaints should take care to wear scarf covering their mouth and nose in winter if they are affected by cold. In order to prevent flu and cold they should get flu shots and wash their hands as and when possible. Pets are bad news for those who have problem with animal dander. Its advisable to keep pets out of the house or at the least away from the bedroom. Washing the pets as often as possible is very good. Humidifiers should not be used but the humidity levels should be kept according to your suitability.

During the seasons when the pollen count is high in the atmosphere it is very advisable for people who are allergic to pollens to stay indoors. Keeping the air conditioner on is a very effective way of keeping pollens and dust out of the house.

Natural remedies should be used to keep the body immune system fit and fighting which will keep flu and cold at bay. In case exercise or heavy physical activities cause asthma attack consult your physician and device ways to be active without aggravating asthma symptoms. It should be kept in mind that physical activity is important for asthma sufferers.

A humidity level between 30 to 50 percent should be maintained at home. Biological agents thrive better in high humidity conditions thus higher humidity will provide them conducive environment to proliferate and initiate an asthma attack. It is highly recommended that kitchen and bathroom should have open windows and its even better to have exhaust fans to facilitate better air regulation because places where cooking, dishwashing and showers are performed usually have high humidity. Use of humidifiers should be avoided in any case. Care should be taken to vent the cloth dryers to the outdoors. A dehumidifier may be used if necessary. But iy should be kept away at some place like the basement.

It is necessary for people suffering from asthma to have minimum exposure to gases and other combustion particles which may cause breathing difficulties. Regular checkup and maintenance should be performed on stoves, combustion furnaces and heaters to ensure their proper functioning. Change the filters of the furnace regularly according the instruction guide provided by the manufacturer or in case of its absence change it every couple of months when in use.

Keep the house as clean as possible to reduce the allergens like dust, pollens, pet hairs, microbes etc. Allergen proof comforters should be used as far as possible. Box springs and mattresses should be covered in vinyl covers. Use of perfumes, air fresheners, deodorants and other sprays should be avoided. Also keep away from paint odour.

Get rid of cockroaches and other insects. Take off the carpets, drapes and other upholstered furniture from the bedrooms of asthma sufferers and keep the pets away from the bedroom as well. A high quality vacuum cleaner should be used to clean the house with facility to vent outside. Bedding should be washed in hot water over 130°F.

Sit with your doctor and device an action plan to avoid the triggers once you identify them and know how to control them. The doctor will help you identify if any of the medications you are currently on affects your asthma and what medications are best for your asthma. The medications should be taken as prescribed and you should try your best to adhere to the plan of action. When in doubt about your medication it is best to consult your doctor. Doctor will also show you the right method of treatment in case of an attack and using inhalers

If your asthma symptoms are not controlled properly it can lead to very worse situations hence it is very important to keep your asthma in check. Its advisable to contact a doctor and get the medication changed in case the symptoms are recurring very frequently and are getting worse or you have to use an inhaler almost everyday. Or you can even get an alternative method to address the issue.




Cindy Heller is a professional writer. Visit Asthma Symptom Cure to learn more about asthma attack symptom and natural asthma remedy treatment.

Asthma Discussed

1 out of every 7 children is affected by asthma.
o It is the second major reason for the hospitalization of the children up to age 9.
o Asthma has affected 1 out of every 12 adults.
o The death rate due to it is constantly rising in America, Africa and Latin countries.
o It has become one of the major reasons of absenteeism from school in the US.
o It leads to 2 million emergency room visits and amounts up to 5,000 deaths every year in the USA alone.

Asthma is a chronic disease, which directly affects your airways. The airways are the tubes carrying air in and out of your lungs. Asthma is caused by inflammation and subsequent constriction of your airway. The condition is characterized by an instantaneous reaction by the airways in response to various triggers or allergens and substances.

During an asthma attack, the airway gets inflamed and restricts the airflow to the lungs. It directly effects your breathing and leaves you short of breath. It makes you wheeze and you can experience chest tightness. During an asthma attack the production of mucus by airway cells increases and it further causes obstruction in the air flow through tubes. You can die due to the lack of oxygen, if the attack is severe and prolonged.

Asthma, if not treated and controlled, can cost you your life.

It is widely known disease, effecting millions of people, still there is no concrete evidence towards its cause. Studies have revealed that it is caused due to allergic reactions caused by the presence of certain antibodies or certain conditions. Some studies also reveal that it is caused due to obesity and weight related problems. Various triggers or allergic reactions are known to cause asthma in people. It might not be necessary that the same trigger causes an asthma attack in all people. There are numerous triggers, which can cause asthmatic attacks. Triggers can be categorized as allergens, irritants and other triggers. Among the common triggers which initiate asthma attacks are as follows:

Allergens
Dust
Pollen
Mold
Cockroaches
Dust mites
Animal dander
Irritants
Tobacco smoke
Air pollution
Strong odor
Laughing
Crying
Others
Workplace chemicals
Common cold
Infections
Exertion
Respiratory infection
Flu

It is important for you to identify what triggers an asthma attack for you. It would help you greatly if, once recognized, you in stayed away from any known causes.

Like other diseases, asthma also presents symptoms that characterize its early, advancing and later stages. Some of the common symptoms include coughing, wheezing, shortness of breath and chest tightness.

The first stage -- Early warning signs of Asthma

If you are in the early stages of an asthmatic event, you might experience some common symptoms. These common symptoms are characterized during the inception periods of the asthma episode. The symptoms include:-

*Frequent coughing during sleep in the night.
*Experiencing wheezing or coughing after exercising.
*Shortness of breath.
*Extreme exhaustion following exercise.
*Feeling tired and upset all the time.
*Experiencing a running nose, sore throat, headaches and sneezing frequently.

If you experience any of the above symptoms, you should immediately get yourself checked for asthma. The swifter you act, the more you will be able to control it.

The second stage - Advancement and worsening of Asthma

If you are not able to identify the initial symptoms of asthma, or if you ignore those symptoms, asthma could get even worse. The advancement of asthma starts affecting your daily activities and sleep. Some of the symptoms of worsening asthma include.

*Regular and undying cough.
*Frequent wheezing.
*Declined response to medications.
*Shortness of breath.
*Experiencing regular tightness in the chest.
Asthma should be diagnosed immediately upon countering these symptoms or it could further advance into a severe stage causing damage to your body.

The final stage and its symptoms

When asthma enters into its last stage it starts affecting you severely. It makes life difficult for you and can even cause the death. You would need immediate medical attention if you experience any of the symptoms listed below:

*Rapid breathing.
*Undying chest pain and pressure.
*Non-stop coughing.
*Sweaty and dull face.
*Blue fingernails and lips.
*Hampered talking.
*Retraction of neck and chest muscles.
*Frequent gasping for breath.
*Severe wheezing.

Asthma can only be controlled, not cured. So you must abide by proper medication and medical instructions. It is also important to stay free of any known triggers, which can cause an asthma attack.

You should visit your doctor immediately if you are concerned you may be suffering with asthma.

Hypnotherapy for Asthma

Being a former asthma sufferer myself, I can completely empathise with those who live in dread the suffocating symptoms of an asthma attack.

My asthma was induced by dust and aggravated by intense exercise, however for others, they causes are less easy to avoid. Pollen, pollution, stress, colds, and cigarette smoke are just some of the factors that can aggravate asthma. Although there are many pharmaceutical treatments for asthma, the very young and very old can be particularly debilitated by the symptoms of asthma.

When an attack is on its way, it's important to keep calm, but when you feel physically unable to get sufficient oxygen into your body (this is because the airways are constricting), calm is generally the last thing you are feeling, and no matter how many times you consciously remind yourself to keep calm, will power alone is not enough.

The good news is that most asthma suffers have some idea of when they are going to have an asthma attack, there may not be a lot of prior warning, but there will be some.

Using hypnosis, an asthma sufferer can be given suggestions such as remaining calm when they suspect that an attack is going to happen, visualising the tubes of their airways as being relaxed and wide, becoming disassociated from one's self so that they are able to look at themselves and how they look at this time just before the attack comes on. Or notice how a simple change in their own physiology can release discomfort or what it is that they are focusing on at that time… are they focusing on how tight and uncomfortable they feel, or how their socks feel on their feet? Wherever your attention is, you can expect to notice more intensely.

Imagining the lungs in a healthy normal state can encourage them to return to normal function, in fact as well visualising the self and how actual changes can be made to the body and it's parts, more covert techniques can be employed. A rubber band letting go offers suggestions of something taut becoming loose and limp (such as the airway), a stiff door that is oiled to that it can swing open easily can also make similar positive suggestions, or a slide window that allows a breeze to blow through. Simply the auditory suggestion of a slowing metronome can encourage a panicked racing heartbeat to slow down.

Hypnosis is one of the most effective ways to achieve a natural relaxed state. In this state the mind is more open to suggestion and the state of relaxation alone can ease the anxiety and stress that can cause an attack. This means that using auto suggestion, it may be possible for a person to abort the asthma attack before it begins.


About The Author

Gemma Bailey is qualified hypnotherapist and NLP Master Practitioner, registered with the General Hypnotherapy Register (GHR), American Board of Hypnotherapy (ABH), British Board of NLP (BBNLP) and American Board of NLP (ABNLP) as well as being a member of the NHS Directory of Complimentary and Alternative Practitioners. http://www.gemmabailey.co.uk

Asthma & Exercise

So you have asthma? Think you can’t exercise safely? Read on, my friend, and discover how you *can* do so safely and how your body will benefit from the exertion!

Asthma is a chronic lung disease that is marked by the following characteristics that are present during episodes of airflow obstruction:

Coughing
Wheezing
Shortness of breath
Chest tightness

It tends to occur in people who are genetically or environmentally presdisposed to the condition. Some of the triggers that might start or make an attack worse include:

Exposure to allergens (animal dander, pollen, mold)
Viral respiratory infections
Airway irritants (tobacco smoke, environmental pollutants)
Exercise
Exposure to things such as dust mites or cockroaches, especially in childhood

Medical treatments for asthma include:

Anti-inflammatory agents (inhaled and pill-formed steroids)
Broncodilators

If the patient can manage his/her symptoms, it’s possible to avoid any critical or emergency breathing treatments, however, for people in a higher-pollutant area, this might prove to be a difficult task.

How can you prevent an asthma attack?

Bathe pets weekly
Do not smoke or permit smoking in your home
Stay inside with air conditioning when mold or pollen counts are high
Wash your bedding & stuffed toys once per week in hot water
Wash your hands often
Get a flu shot
Wear a scarf over your mouth and nose in the winter
Be proactive about knowing your “triggers” and avoiding them

Now, with this information in place where does exercise fit in to your asthmatic life? According to Dr. Jack Becker, chief of allergy and asthma at St. Christopher’s in Philadelphia, you shouldn’t give up on sports or exercise at all. You just have to be smart about how you play, and take special precautions to avoid a flare-up.

Nearly all doctors agree that the best way to prevent an attack during exertion (exercise) is to keep the medication (inhaler) close at hand. You shouldn’t use the inhaler more than 3 times during a game or exercise session—at that point, it’s best just to back off and rest a while. Additionally, if you are up the previous night with coughing and wheezing, it’s probably best to go lightly on the exercise the next day.

For something such as Exercise Induced Asthma (EIA), symptoms are slightly different, in that they will appear after about 6-8 minutes of exertion, and are often worse in cold, dry air.

For those with EIA, certain activities are preferred over others:

Swimming: this sport has a warm, humid atmosphere, year-round availability, and upper-body toning.
Walking
Leisure biking
Free downhill skiing (wearing a scarf or surgical mask to help warm the air while inhaling)
Team sports that require a short burst of energy are better than those that require more continual activity. Thus, baseball, football, golfing, gymnastics, surfing, or wrestling are preferred over soccer, basketball, field hockey, or long-distance running.

Remember, this condition is not “all in your head,” it is a real, physiological medical condition that requires appropriate treatment. While your doctor can be your biggest ally in treating your asthma, YOU are the one who can most effectively prevent your symptoms. Be smart, take your medication, and be proactive. And don’t let asthma sideline your physical activity—it does a body good!

By: Jeff Slokum

Asthma Drugs - Medicines Used in Bronchial Asthma

Bronchial asthma is characterised by chronic inflammation of the bronchial tubes resulting in narrowing of the airways. Any kind of inhaled stimulus, such as air pollutants, strong odours, tobacco smoke, etc can trigger coughing and wheezing. There is swelling of inner lining of airways (bronchi) and occasional blockage due to thick mucus (sputum). When the air moves in and out of these obstructed and inflamed tubes the patient longs for a mouthful of breath. Every moment of the day! Attacks of wheezing and coughing in persons with inflamed airways can also be triggered by stress, infection; and sudden changes in climate.

Corticosteroids

Intravenous hydrocortisone 100 to 200 mg given every six hourly for 1 to 2 days is used in the management of acute severe bronchial asthma (status asthmaticus). Although given intravenously, steroids are not quick acting so treatment through inhalation should be continued. Steroids are also useful in long term treatment in certain cases. Here oral tablets are not preferred but inhaler is used to deliver drug into lungs. Some drugs used are:

Drugs Used for Prevention and Long term Treatment of Chronic Asthma

Bambuterol (Bambudil)

Bambuterol is a bronchodilator which is given orally in a dose of 10 to 20 mg once a day.

Salmeterol (Salmeter, Serobid)

It is used by inhalation (MDI) in a dose of 25 ug, twice a day. It is also available in combination with fluticasone (Seroflo Rotacaps contains 50 ug salmeterol + 100-500 ug fluticasone).

Formoterol (Foratec)

This drug is administered through inhalation, in a dose of 12 to 24 ug, twice a day.

Ipratropium Hydrobromide (Ipravent 20 ug/puff)

It is used as 20 to 40 ug, inhalation 2 to 5 times a day. It is more effective in chronic bronchitis with asthma like problems. It can cause dryness of mouth and palpitation. Nebulised ipratropium alongwith salbutamol are given in refractory asthma.

Montelukast (Montair 4 mg), Zafirlukast (Zuvair 10 mg)

These prevent airway inflammation and are effective orally. They are useful in patients who can not take glucocorticoids. Mild adverse effects like headache or skin allergy may occur.

Sodium cromoglycate (Cromolyn)

It stabilizes mast cells (cells responsible for formation of chemicals which cause asthma) and prevents release of constrictor chemicals. It is given by inhalation.

Fintal 1 mg MDI: It is used as 2 puffs four times a day. It is well tolerated by most patients but sometimes irritating cough and brochospasm may occur. It has preventive value only.

Ketotifen: This drug acts like cromolyn but can be given orally in a dose of 1mg twice a day. Adverse effects are sedation, weight gain, nausea and dizziness.

Combination Drugs

Anti-asthma drugs have a big market as the patient has to take them for a prolonged period of time. Pharmaceutical companies, specially the multinationals are cashing in on this by bringing out new drug combinations and increasing prices. There are a number of drug combinations available in India for asthma. If one drug of a group is unable to provide satisfactory relief, another drug from a different group can be tried or two drugs can be given together, depending on the response of the patient. The common drug combinations available in the market and used more frequently are:

Drug Combinations

Salbutamol 2 mg + theophylline 100 mg (BRONCHO PLUS)

Salbutamol 2 mg + theophylline 100 mg (THEO ASTHALIN)

Terbutaline 2.5 mg + theophylline 100 mg (THEOBRIC)

Terbutaline 5 mg (SR) + theophylline 300 mg (SR) (THEOBRIC SR)



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