Inhaled corticosteroids are medications used to treat people with asthma. They may also be prescribed to treat other respiratory conditions, including chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).
When taken consistently, inhaled corticosteroids improve lung function, improve asthma symptoms, and reduce the number and severity of asthma attacks.
Inhaled corticosteroids are a key component for the long-term treatment for asthma. The National Institutes of Health calls inhaled corticosteroids "the most effective long-term therapy available for patients with persistent asthma". In general, inhaled corticosteroids are well tolerated and safe at the recommended dosages.
Inhaled corticosteroids do not provide immediate relief of asthma symptoms. A short-acting bronchodilator, such as albuterol, must be used as a "rescue medication".
Your doctor will prescribe an inhaled corticosteroid depending on several factors, including the severity of your asthma symptoms, use of other asthma medications, and your response to previous treatments.
Your doctor may also recommend using a spacer or holding chamber with your inhaler and rinsing your mouth with water after each treatment to reduce the amount of medication deposited in the mouth and throat.
Inhaled corticosteroids must be used every day during the treatment period to provide adequate control of asthma symptoms. If use of an inhaled corticosteroid alone does not control asthma symptoms, other asthma medications may be prescribed, such as a long-acting bronchodilator or a leukotriene inhibitor.
What are the different types of inhaled corticosteroids?
Inhaled corticosteroids are inhaled into the lungs through a metered-dose inhaler (MDI).
There are are a variety of Inhaled corticosteroid medications available, including:
- beclomethasone (QVAR®)
- budesonide (Pulmicort®)
- ciclesonide (Alvesco®)
- flunisolide (Aerobid®)
- fluticasone (Flovent®)
- mometasone (Asmanex®)
- triamcinalone (Azmacort®)
Inhaled corticosteroids are also available in combination with long-acting bronchodilators. These combination medications include:
- budenoside and formoterol (Symbicort®)
- fluticasone and salmeterol (Advair®)
- mometasone and formoterol (Dulera®)
How do inhaled corticosteroids work?
Asthma symptoms are associated with inflammation inside the airways of the lungs (bronchi and bronchioles). The inflammation narrows the airways and makes it more difficult for air to flow into and out of the lungs. Inhaled corticosteroids reduce the inflammation, making it easier to breath.
The medication must be used consistently to keep inflammation under control.
What are the side effects of inhaled corticosteroids?
Inhaled corticosteroids are absorbed directly into the lungs, so only a small amount of the medication appears in the blood so it is unlikely to affect other parts of the body. This leads to fewer side effects than occurs when a corticosteroids, such as prednisone, is taken by mouth.
Some of the reported side effects of inhaled corticosteroids include:
- Sore throat or hoarse voice.
- Fungal infection of the mouth (thrush). The risk of developing thrush can be reduced by inhaling the medication properly (this may require the use of a spacer) and rinsing out the mouth and gargling with water following inhalation.
- Cough immediately following the use of the medication.
- Temporary delayed growth in children. Long-term use of inhaled corticosteroids in children may result in a temporary reduction in growth velocity. However this side effect tends to be minimal (approximately half an inch in the first year of use, generally without ongoing effect). In most cases the benefit of having the asthma kept under control is far greater than the potential for any significant side effects.
- Decreased bone thickness in adults, increasing the risk for osteoporosis.
- Eye problems, including cataracts and glaucoma.
Some of the side effects listed above occur only following the long-term use of high doses of corticosteroid.
Source: Vivacare
Last updated : 1/8/2019