Asthma treatment options can include both medical and natural remedies, each of them with proven results in relieving the symptoms and minimizing asthma attacks. We’ll take a closer look to these healing alternatives, but first let’s see how exactly does this illness occur, what causes it and what are the typical symptoms.
What Is Asthma?
Asthma is a long-term chronic inflammation of the airways, defined by recurring symptoms and periodic attacks. Unlike other respiratory diseases, this condition cannot be totally cured, but there are some asthma treatment alternatives which can provide a better management of this illness.
The airways, as you surely know, are the tubes through which air reaches the lungs. These tubes are normally free of any obstacles, but in case of asthma sufferers, the walls become swollen and inflamed, so the tubes get narrower. Once the mucous lining the walls is irritated, the airways become very sensitive and they react to almost any allergen the sufferer comes in contact with.
The most common symptoms of asthma are coughing, wheezing, shortness of breath and chest tightness, but sufferers can also accuse permanent tiredness, persistent runny nose, inflamed skin, dark circles under the eyes or restless sleep. Asthma treatment options, as I already mentioned, aim to control these symptoms, making the patient’s life easier.
As for any other illness, the best asthma treatment is prevention, but you cannot prevent a disease if you don’t know which are its triggers. In this case, the most frequent causes are heredity, respiratory infections, atopy or the tendency of developing allergies and allergies themselves. As for the risk factors, stress, smoke, obesity, pregnancy and polluted environments are the most common ones.
Asthma Treatment Options
Now that you know what triggers this illness, you can start treating the symptoms by avoiding the causes. If your asthma attacks occur when you expose yourself to smoke or dust, the first thing you can do is to avoid exposure. But let’s be honest, sometimes this is simply impossible due to all the pollution, so a not so elegant solution would be wearing a surgical mask. This covers your mouth and nose and reduces the chances of inhaling the allergen particles, but it can look a little strange if you decide to wear it in public. So let’s see some other alternatives for healing asthma.
The incidence of this illness is pretty high all over the world, but patients’ typologies vary, as these people have different beliefs and different lifestyles. Some of them might prefer herbal remedies, while some might only trust medicines and drugs. It is important to be aware of all the benefits and side effects of the available remedies, before choosing any of them.
My honest recommendation is to follow a specialist’s advice, as he surely knows better what asthma treatment suits you the best. Don’t take any drug or over the counter remedy before seeing a doctor, as some of them can really worsen your condition!
Home Asthma Treatment
As for any other health issue, you can opt for medical treatment or home care. The good news is that both these alternatives are efficient in reducing the symptoms. Moreover, there are researchers and studies saying that asthma can be controlled through lifestyle changes and there’s no need of drugs.
These changes refer mostly to dietary habits: eating less greasy foods, more fruits and vegetables which are rich in vitamins and minerals, and drinking more water or home made juices. Lean meat, fish and garlic are also recommended, but it’s important to avoid milk and dairy products, as they can worsen asthma symptoms. Increasing the intake of minerals and vitamins can strengthen your immunity and improve your lungs function, leading to a better management of the disease.
Another home asthma treatment for those who don’t want to depend on medicines is represented by Gingko biloba extracts or supplements. This plant is known for increasing the blood flow to the brain, the metabolism efficiency, it improves the memory, heals skin diseases and eye or ear disorders.
A higher amount of oxygenated blood gives healthier circulatory and respiratory systems, and this is one important aspect for asthma sufferers. However, you shouldn’t take Gingko biloba unless your physician recommends it, and never eat this plant’s seeds directly, as they have lots of side effects, such as dizziness, digestive problems, headaches and even loss of consciousness.
Efficient home remedies with fewer side effects include chamomile or green tea (not recommended to people with heart diseases), mullein oil, ginger, licorice roots (very efficient in cleaning the air passages of mucus) and grindelia flowers.
Although it’s not a specific asthma treatment, physical activity is strongly recommended to asthmatic people. Yoga, aerobics, swimming, easy jogging or walking have plenty of benefits, keeping away not only asthma but other diseases as well. A qualitative relaxing time is very important as it helps patients affected by this illness to better control their symptoms during asthma attacks. It’s harder to keep calm during crisis is your body and mind feel tired and exhausted.
Medical Asthma Treatment
The main role of medical remedies is to prevent asthma attacks, to relieve the symptoms and maintain a normal functioning of the patient’s lungs. A good cure for asthma has as few side effects as possible and allows sufferers to carry on with their daily activities.
A general classification of medications used for asthma treatment includes long term drugs and quick relief medications. First ones are destined to reduce the symptoms and prevent future crisis and exacerbations, while quick relief drugs are meant to treat acute symptoms. Let’s take a closer took to each of these medications, to their benefits and side effects as well.
Quick Relief Medication For Asthma Treatment
As their name suggest it, these drugs are destined to relieve the symptoms that may flare up. Whenever you feel you’re having an asthma attack, just use your quick relief medications. They act by relaxing the tight muscles around the airways, so that the air can pass normally through these tubes and rich the lungs.
The most used quick relief medicines are inhaled short-acting beta2-adrenoceptor antagonists (SABA). These drugs act within minutes and their effects last for hours, so they are very efficient during asthma attacks. Their efficiency is based on the ability of copying the effects of some natural substances from our bodies, adrenaline and noradrenaline. They prepare the organism for stressful situations, intense exercises or long lasting physical activities, by enlarging the airways so that more air can pass through them.
The active principle of quick relief medications is usually albuterol, levalbuterol or pirbuterol, and the most popular drug is Salbutamol. Although most people taking SABAs don’t experience any problem, these drugs can have some side effects, such as hands shakiness, nervousness, headaches or muscle cramps. In rare cases patients accuse fast heart rate, sleep disturbances and allergic reactions.
Other medicines used as quick asthma treatment are oral and intravenous corticosteroids, such as prednisone, which relieve airway inflammations, and anticholinergic drugs, used in combination with SABAs. For people responding poorly to inhaled beta-antagonists, intravenous drugs such as epinephrine could be a solution, but these are usually avoided because they lead to excessive cardiac stimulation.
If you’re using quick relief medications more than twice a week, you should see a doctor, as these aren’t destined for regular use. Instead of relying on these drugs you should adjust your long term treatment scheme, as you’re probably not using the proper medicines for your condition.
Long Term Medications For Asthma Treatment
Long term medications offer a better control of asthma symptoms and they help in preventing future attacks. Their active principles work to reduce airways inflammations, so these drugs need to be taken daily. The most common ones are inhaled corticosteroids, leukotriene modifiers, long acting beta-agonists (LABA) and combined inhalers.
Inhaled corticosteroids represent the most prescribed asthma treatment, due to their properties and efficiency in relieving airways inflammation and swelling. Less inflamed airways mean less intense symptoms and fewer attacks for asthmatic people.
Unlike quick relief medications, these ones have fewer side effects when taken as prescribed, and they need to be used for several days before they reach their maximum activity and benefits. The risks linked with inhaled corticosteroids include fungal infections of mouth or throat (candidiasis), hoarse voice or glaucoma, but these can all be avoided if the medicines are used correctly.
Fluticasone, flunisolide, budesonide and memotasone are the most popular active principles used for inhaled corticosteroids. These medications are usually provided as inhalers or metered-dose inhalers (MDI), dry powder inhalers and asthma spacers or nebulisers. The drug is mixed with air inside a plastic cylinder, so it can be absorbed easily by the respiratory tubes walls.
Spacers are mostly given to children affected by asthma, as they help the patient use the inhaler correctly and inhale the right dose of medicine. Nebulisers are useful for delivering a larger amount of drug exactly where it’s needed and they act by making a mist of water and medicine. Unlike spacers, nebulisers may not be suitable for kids, so if your child is affected by this disease, you better ask for a medic’s advice before giving him any asthma treatment.
Long acting beta agonists (LABA) should be taken only in combination with inhaled corticosteroids. Their effect lasts for 12 hours but due to all the side effects linked with them (severe asthma attacks accused by patients using these drugs), LABAs aren’t recommended for kids.
Another long term asthma treatment is represented by leukotriene modifiers, such as montelukast or zileuton, which help prevent this illness’ symptoms for up to 24 hours. Although they can be used instead of inhaled corticosteroids, these drugs aren’t preferred by physicians.
Moreover, there were asthma sufferers who accused agitation, hallucinations, depression episodes and even suicidal thinking after using these drugs. Other side effects of leukotriene modifiers include stomach pain, indigestion, dry mouth, a permanent thirst sensation, allergic reactions, shakiness and painful joints or muscles.
Combined inhalers contain long acting beta agonists (LABA) mixed with corticosteroids, the most popular of them being fluticasone, salmeterol and formoterol. Some scientists agree that it’s more convenient for asthma sufferers to use only one inhaler but receive two drugs at once. Also, these drugs are more affordable, so there’s a cost advantage in using combined inhaler as asthma treatment.
Theophylline is used to prevent wheezing, shortness of breath and other symptoms of this illness. It acts by relaxing the muscles and opening the airways, making it easier for asthma patients to breathe. It usually comes as tablets, capsules or syrup and needs to be taken every 6, 8, 12 or 24 hours, depending on its concentration.
This daily drug is actually a bronchodilator, and despite its benefits, it’s not used as often as it was. The reason for could be represented by the reported side effects: irregular heart beats, frequent headaches, difficulties in sleeping or restless sleep and sickness feeling.
Other Asthma Treatment Options
Less often, sufferers can be prescribed magnesium sulfate, a bronchodilator with intravenous application, used in combination with other long term medicine and pretty efficient in treating and preventing asthma attacks. Another treatment includes a mixture of oxygen and helium named heliox, but this is used only in severe and unresponsive cases, as it is a really strong medicine.
Besides medicines, asthmatic people can benefit from bronchial thermoplasty, an invasive procedure during which the airways walls are heated using an electrode. Due to the hot air which passes through the respiratory tubes, muscles surrounding the airways relax, the tubes become less swollen so the breathing process becomes easier.
The method is used mostly for severe asthma cases so it’s not widely available, due to all the risks involved. This asthma treatment is only used in patients aged 18 or older, if the disease can’t be controlled with inhaled corticosteroids or long acting beta agonists.
As you can see, there are several options when it comes to relieving asthma symptoms, but none of these medicines should be taken unless they were prescribed by a specialist. Besides benefits, these drugs have also side effects and they can even worsen the illness, so if you want to make sure you’re using the right asthma treatment, follow your physician’s advice.
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