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Asthma
Treatment Options
Medications
for Treating Asthma
Preventing
an Asthma Attack
Treatment
at UPMC
Just as there is no known cause of asthma, there is also no cure. Symptoms
may diminish or even completely disappear over time. However, for most
people, living with asthma means a lifelong combination of medication
and self-management.
Medications for Treating Asthma
Asthma is treated with medication. Often, you'll need to take more than
one type of medication. All patients with asthma should have ready access
to a "rescue inhaler" — a fast-acting medication that
opens up the bronchial tubes (a bronchodilator), reduces airway narrowing,
and relieves symptoms. If you are using your rescue drug more than three
to five times per week, you may need added controller medication; talk
to your doctor. If you are using more than eight puffs from your rescue
inhaler per day, you may be having an asthma exacerbation. Call your
doctor immediately.
Specific asthma medications include:
- quick-acting inhaler (such as albuterol)
This relaxes your airways so that they become wider again. These are
used to stop an acute episode of asthma, or "asthma attack"
(also called a rescue inhaler).
- long-acting inhaler (such as salmeterol)
This inhaler is used daily to prevent asthma attacks. This inhaler
should not be used to try to stop an asthma attack in progress. Long-acting
inhalers may be an effective addition for patients in need of more
than a steroid inhaler.
- steroid inhaler (such as fluticasone and beclomethasone)
A steroid inhaler is used to reduce inflammation in your airways and
improve lung function. This inhaler should not be used to try to stop
an asthma attack in progress. As the first-line treatment for most
persistent asthma, steroid inhalers are very effective and quite safe.
They are not in the same class of drugs as the anabolic steroids that
some athletes abuse to build muscle. Although in rare cases steroid
inhalers cause side effects such as sore throat, the risk of not treating
asthma is far greater.
- cromolyn sodium or nedocromil sodium inhaler
This is used daily to prevent asthma flare-ups. These may also be
used just before exercise, if you have exercise-induced asthma. This
inhaler should not be used to try to stop an asthma attack in progress.
- leukotriene blockers (such as zafirlukast and zileuton)
These pills are taken daily to help prevent asthma attacks. For patients
with mild, persistent asthma, leukotriene blockers can be an effective
alternative to steroid inhalers.
- corticosteroids (such as prednisone)
This can be given as pills, injections, or intravenous (IV) medications
to treat an acute flare-up of symptoms. You may also take corticosteroid
pills if you have severe asthma that isn't responding to other treatments.
Unlike inhaled corticosteroids, these drugs often have significant
side effects, so the smallest possible dosage should be used.
- theophylline
This is a pill taken two to four times daily. Most patients respond
better to other drugs, but occasionally theophylline can be helpful.
Theophylline can be toxic if taken in too large a dose or if it is
taken with certain other medications.
- epinephrine
This is a shot given to stop an asthma attack.
Preventing Your Next Attack
There are no guidelines for preventing asthma because the cause is not
known. However, you can help prevent asthma attacks by avoiding substances
that trigger asthma attacks.
- Keep your windows closed.
- Clean your home regularly. Wear a mask while working, or get someone
else to do the job.
- Consider getting HEPA filters for your heating/cooling system and
your vacuum cleaner.
- Put mattresses, pillows, and box springs in dust-proof covers.
- Use bedding made of synthetic fibers and wash it often.
- Remove rugs and carpets from the bedroom.
- Keep pets out of the bedroom or out of the house.
- Use air conditioning and keep the humidity down in your house.
- Avoid strenuous outdoor exercise during high-ozone days.
- Keep track of the pollen count in your area and act accordingly,
keeping windows closed and avoiding strenuous outdoor activities.
- Get a yearly flu
shot.
- Don't
smoke.
- Avoid breathing in secondhand smoke and chemicals.
- Don't use a wood-burning stove regularly.
- Consider getting allergy
shots, if allergies trigger your asthma attacks.
- Talk to your doctor about an appropriate level of exercise for you.
- Talk to your doctor about how to track your asthma, so you can identify
and treat flare-ups immediately.
Treatment at UPMC
This condition is typically treated by experts specializing in:
Call UPMC at 800-533-UPMC (8762) to find a doctor and schedule an appointment.
For information about complementary medicine approaches to this condition,
visit UPMC's Center
for Integrative Medicine.
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