- The goal of asthma therapy is
for you to live a normal, active life. Your treatment will probably include prescribed
medication and the removal of any obvious allergy-causing substances or irritants from
your environment. Two main types of medications are used to control asthma:
bronchodilators and anti-inflammatory drugs.
If you have mild or exercise-induced asthma, your
health care provider may prescribe a short-acting bronchodilator to prevent and treat
asthma attacks. ("Short-acting" means that the medicine works for just a short
time.) Bronchodilators relax the muscles in the airways. When the muscles are relaxed, the
airways become larger and allow more space for air to move in and out. These drugs are
most often prescribed as inhalers. Inhalers are medicines that you breathe into your lungs
as you spray them into your mouth.
Salmeterol is a new, long-acting, inhaled
bronchodilator. It can be taken every day to help prevent wheezing. It should not be used
to treat sudden attacks of wheezing because it works too slowly. If you are using
salmeterol, you should always carry a short-acting bronchodilator with you to use when you
have an attack. Some bronchodilators are tablets or capsules that you swallow.
Theophylline, for example, may be taken in capsule form. It is used less often these days
because the newer inhalers work faster and have less serious side effects. Some people,
however, find theophylline more effective. It is particularly useful if you have nighttime
asthma.
Especially for more severe asthma, your
health care provider may prescribe anti-inflammatory medicines to be taken every day.
Types of anti-inflammatory drugs include cromolyn sodium inhalers, steroid inhalers and
tablets, and nedocromil inhalers. These medicines help reduce the inflammation in your
airways. They do not stop attacks of wheezing once the wheezing starts. You must use a
short-acting bronchodilator when you are wheezing.
Make sure you know how to use your inhaler
correctly. Read the directions that come with your inhaler. Most inhalers work best if you
hold them 1 to 2 inches in front of your mouth when you spray. If you close your mouth
around the inhaler, less of the spray of medicine will reach your lungs. If it is hard for
you to hold the inhaler in the right position, ask your health care provider for a spacer
tube. You can put one end of the spacer in your mouth and attach the inhaler to the other
end. This allows you to breathe in slowly and fully and to inhale more of the asthma
medicine.
Learn how to tell when your inhaler canister is
empty. To see if it is getting empty, float the canister in a bowl of water. A full
canister sinks. An empty canister floats. Ask your health care provider for a diagram that
shows how to test your canister.
Your breathing ability can change from day to day.
For example, illness or seasonal allergies may make your airways more inflamed than usual.
Your provider may prescribe a peak flow meter for you to use at home to check your
breathing ability. You can then know when you might need to increase your dosage of
medicine to prevent severe attacks of wheezing.
Ways to remove substances in your home that may
cause wheezing are described below.
| Cover mattresses, box springs, and
pillows with zippered plastic covers. |
| Wash bedding in hot water once a week.
|
| Wash and thoroughly dry pillows once a
month. |
| Avoid using a vaporizer or humidifier
unless it is thoroughly cleaned regularly to remove mold. |
| It is best to not have pets. If you do
have a pet, bathe your pet weekly, vacuum frequently and thoroughly, and use a HEPA (high
efficiency particulate arresting) air filter. |
| Stay indoors when the humidity or
pollen count is high. |
| Use air conditioning instead of open
windows to cool your home. |
| Do not use attic fans. |
| Avoid cigarette smoke. |
| Avoid vapors from harsh chemicals,
such as bleach. |
