Treaments for Asthma

Asthma treatment can cure the disease and also provide immediate relief. Most physicians prescribe a combination of both kinds of drugs for effective treatment.

There are many types of asthma treatments available and popular; some of them cure the disease while some asthma treatments only bring short term relief. Most conventional treatment courses recommended by doctors involve both long and short term asthma treatments. The doctor usually recommends the course of the treatment based on the severity of the condition.

Let us study in details the long term asthma treatment. The medicines for long term asthma treatment have to be taken over a relatively long time, may be even years, and might need to be taken every day. They bring relief from stubborn and chronic asthma. Inhaler introduces corticosteroids are medicines that form a part of long term asthma treatment by reducing the inflammation in the nasal passage and allowing the air to pass through. They not only provide relief but help to cure the disease. Corticosteroids are also useful for asthma treatment as they need to be introduced into the nasal cavity directly and therefore minimize the risk of secondary infections.

Bronchodilators are medicines that are important for asthma treatment as they open up the constricted airways therefore reducing the suffering. The effect of these asthma treatment medicines last at least for 12 hours , therefore in very severe cases 2 doses in a day suffice to bring relief. These medicines are used in mild to severe cases and in all cases to prevent nighttime symptoms.

Leukotrienes block the action of harmful substances released inside the lungs during asthma. These harmful substances cause the lining of the airways to become inflamed, causing difficulty in breathing. This asthma treatment is effective as it is able to control the root cause of the disease.

In some rare cases it has been observed that a mild attack of asthma often follows an exercise routine. In such cases asthma treatment involves cromolyn and nedocromil introduced through inhalers. These drugs are often effective in preventing such attacks altogether.

Theophylline is another drug used in asthma treatment, however it is not recommended except in very rare cases as its use causes side effects like irregular heartbeat, acid reflux, nausea, abdominal pain and so on.

The short term asthma treatments or those asthma treatments that involve relieving the symptoms or preventing the onset of the disease are also very popular. The medicines that form a part of this sort of asthma treatment can also be taken when the disease has just set in and the initial symptoms have surfaced. The most popular short term asthma treatment medicine is composed of short acting beta two agnostics, The effect of these medicines last for four to six hours, therefore the relief provided is immediate, however these medicines cannot prevent the symptoms from coming back.

Ipratropium and corticosteroids are other asthma treatment drugs that are popular with doctors. The first of these provides quick relief; the second one takes 2 to 3 days to be effective. The second asthma treatment medicine namely corticosteroids are prescribed by doctors only when the asthma is severe and not responding to milder drugs. The long term use of corticosteroids is not recommended as it has severe and harmful side effects.