Asthma is a chronic respiratory condition characterized by the narrowing and inflammation of air passages in an individual's body. Bronchioles (air passages in the lungs) are the most frequently afflicted regions by the condition. Asthma results in making the bronchioles over responsive to the numerous internal and external infection and disease causing agents, thus causing their spasm and inflammation and eventually leading to asthma. Patients of asthma often complain about shortening of breath and difficulty in breathing, caused due to obstruction of air flow inside their bodies. However, numerous effective treatment options are presently available to cure asthma.
Inhalers
Use of inhalers is one of the most commonly prescribed treatment method to treat patients afflicted with asthma. Most of the inhalers that are available in the market these days contain a certain component known as albuterol in them. Albuterol is a drug that helps in providing significant relief to the patients suffering from respiratory conditions such as asthma and COPD (chronic obstructive pulmonary disease). The drug helps in opening up of the air passages and also reduces the inflammation inside the patient's body and hence helps in reducing their pain and discomfort.
Drugs and Medications
Inhalation of corticosteroids, such as fluticasone, triamcinolone and Qvar among others is often prescribed by the doctors to individuals suffering from asthma. According to a Mayo Clinic study, these drugs help in minimizing the pain associated with asthma by diminishing the inflammation of the air passages and hence result in normal flow of air inside the patient's body. Certain long-acting beta-2 agnostics namely salmeterol and formoterol among others are also commonly recommended by the doctors as a supplementary to corticosteroids. The above mentioned drugs result in the opening of the air passages and hence normalize the air flow inside their body. Other common medications, often prescribed by doctors to asthma patients include theophylline and nedocromil. The drugs act as bronchodilators, thus resulting in reducing the inflammation of the air passages and hence minimize the discomfort of the patients by regularizing the flow of air.
Immunotherapy
Another commonly recommended form to asthmatic patients is the immunotherapy method. In immunotherapy, allergy densensitizing shots are administered to the patients. These shots are effective in minimizing the inflammatory response of the individual's body to the internal and external disease causing agents and thus results in curing asthma over a period of time. In the beginning, the shot are administered four to five times a month for around five to six months, however after that, the frequency of the shots is reduced to one per month for the next four or five years so as to prevent the recurring of the condition.
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