Asthma Management and Control - Health Tips

Even though there is currently no cure for asthma, symptoms can be controlled with an effective asthma treatment plan.

Patients are directed to take their medications as prescribed and are taught to avoid triggers that cause the symptoms. After careful diagnosis, one of our allergists will prescribe the best medications for the severity of the patient’s condition. He’ll also provide specific instructions for using the medications with your asthma treatment plan.

Medications to help control symptoms include inhaled corticosteroids (fluticasone (Flovent Diskus, Flovent HFA), budesonide (Pulmicort Flexhaler), mometasone (Asmanex), ciclesonide (Alvesco), flunisolide (Aerobid), beclomethasone (Qvar) and others).

Another type of medication is a ‘combination inhaler’ and contains an inhaled corticosteroid and a long-acting beta-agonist (LABA). LABAs are helpful in opening the airways, but may carry some risks in some patients.

LABAs are almost never prescribed as the only therapy for asthma. We may recommend using them along with inhaled corticosteroids. Common combination medications include fluticasone and salmeterol (Advair Diskus, Advair HFA), fluticasone and vilanterol (Breo), budesonide and formoterol (Symbicort), and mometasone and formoterol (Dulera).

Oral medications, called leukotriene modifiers, include montelukast (Singulair), zafirlukast (Accolate) and zileuton (Zyflo, Zyflo CR).

Another type of medication, called “quick relief” or rescue medication, is used to rapidly relax and open airways and relieve symptoms during an asthma attack, or may be taken before exercise if prescribed and include short-acting beta-agonists. These inhaled bronchodilator (brong-koh-DIE-lay-tur) medications include albuterol (ProAir HFA, Ventolin HFA, others), levalbuterol (Xopenex HFA) and pirbuterol (Maxair Autohaler). If you find yourself relying on rescue relief more than twice per week, it’s time to come see us again for an adjustment in your asthma treatment plan.

Acute attacks or severe symptoms may require intravenous or oral corticosteroids. These include prednisone and methylprednisolone. We try to avoid using these medications on a long-term basis because of serious side effects.

Asthma sufferers are at risk of developing complications from respiratory infections such a pneumonia or influenza. That makes it imperative for asthma patients to receive annual vaccinations to reduce the risk.

We’ll design a customized asthma treatment plan for your needs and lifestyle.

Enjoy a better quality of life.  Get the help you need with a customized asthma treatment plan.

Controlling asthma means treating the underlying inflammation of your airways. Don’t substitute the quick fix of an inhaled short-acting beta 2 -adrenergic bronchodilator for consistent, routine use of the appropriate long-term asthma medications that your doctor prescribes.

Think of your asthma as a smoldering campfire in your lungs. If you pay attention to the embers only after they flare up, containing the flames becomes a serious problem. The goal of your asthma management plan is to get your asthma under control to the extent that you only rarely use bronchodilators on an as-needed basis — usually to reduce the risk of symptoms when exposed to unavoidable asthma triggers or precipitating factors, especially exercise.

Also, beware of relying on inhaled short-acting bronchodilators, because the quick relief these products provide can also give you the false impression that your asthma is just a set of symptoms, rather than a serious, underlying medical problem. Imagine having a high fever and only taking a pain reliever to reduce your discomfort. You may temporarily feel better, but if the underlying cause of your high temperature is a severe inflammation, such as appendicitis, treating only the symptoms can lead to a very serious situation — in this case a ruptured appendix — because you may not realize the gravity of your condition, thus delaying necessary treatment. 

Likewise, if zapping your wheezing with an inhaled short-acting beta 2 -adrenergic bronchodilator is the only way you deal with your persistent asthma, you may feel fine for a short while. However, if you use your peak-flow meter to check your peak expiratory flow rate (PEFR), or if your doctor performs a spirometry procedure, you quickly realize that your airflow is significantly decreased and your lung functions are below normal. When based solely on how they’re feeling, the majority of asthma patients tend to underestimate the magnitude of their airway obstruction. Often, it isn’t until they can objectively measure their airflow, typically by using a peak-flow meter, that they really become aware of their deteriorating condition.

There’s probably no scarier feeling in the world — finding it hard to breathe. It may be a signal that you have asthma, a chronic lung disease that inflames and narrows the airways. The condition causes recurring periods of wheezing, chest tightness, shortness of breath, and coughing.

At Bel Air, our team of professionals is committed to your care and well-being, and we’ll work with you to identify your asthma triggers and create an action plan to help you manage your symptoms. We’ll give you guidance on taking your medicines properly, avoiding your particular asthma triggers, tracking your level of asthma control, responding to worsening symptoms, and seeking emergency care when needed.

Common triggers for asthma attacks include extreme weather changes, smoke in the air, air pollution, pet dander, dust mites and pollen. The condition is typically treated with two types of medications. Long-term control medicines help reduce airway inflammation and prevent asthma symptoms and quick-relief, or ‘rescue’ medicines relieve asthma symptoms that may flare up.

Most people who have asthma can safely manage their symptoms at home. But be sure to seek emergency medical attention whenever asthma symptoms are severe, worsening, or not improving despite following the action plan.