How is Asthma Treated?

There’s no cure for asthma, but the condition can usually be managed and flare-ups can be prevented. Asthma is treated in two ways, by avoiding potential triggers and with medication.

Avoiding triggers that make asthma symptoms worse is important. They can’t always be avoided (like catching a cold), but you can control your exposure to some triggers such as pet dander, for example.

Each person with asthma is treated differently because each person has a different severity level and a different set of triggers. There are a variety of treatment medications doctors can choose from. Most asthma medications are inhaled (which means that a person takes the medication by breathing it into the lungs), but asthma medications can also take the form of pills or liquids. They fall into two categories:

• Rescue medications - are taken as needed and act quickly to halt asthma symptoms once they start.
• Controller medications - prevent symptoms from occurring in the first place.

Many people with asthma need to take medication every day to control the condition overall. Controller medications (also called “preventive” or “maintenance” medications) work differently from rescue medications. They treat the problem of airway inflammation instead of the symptoms (coughing, wheezing, etc.) that it causes. Controller medications are slow acting and can take days or even weeks to begin working. Although you may not notice them working in the same way as rescue medications, regular use of controller medications should lessen your need for the rescue medications. Doctors also prescribe controller medications as a way to minimize any permanent lung changes that may be associated with having asthma.

The best way to control asthma is prevention. Although medications can play an essential role in preventing flare-ups, environmental control is also very important. Here are some things you can do to help prevent coming into contact with the allergens or irritants that cause your asthma flare-ups:

• Keep your environment clear of potential allergens.
• Pay attention to the weather and take precautions when you know weather or air pollution conditions may affect you. You may need to stay indoors or limit your exercise to indoor activities.
• Don’t smoke (or if you’re a smoker, quit). Smoking is a bad habit, especially for someone who has asthma.
• Exercise, but be careful. If you’re prone to exercise-induced asthma attacks, talk to your doctor about how to manage your symptoms.

Preventing asthma symptoms may be difficult to do during an emergency situation. A disaster can stir up a variety of irritants into the air. Take precautions by attempting to avoid areas (outdoors or indoors) where there are high levels of irritants. Wearing a dust mask may also help to cut down on exposure. It is also important that prescribed medications be continued. Interrupting or stopping medications can cause an increase in airway inflammation, leading to coughing, wheezing, shortness of breath, chest tightness and more frequent asthma attacks. Overuse of fast acting or relief medications can also cause them to lose their effectiveness.