Precautions To Be Taken With Asthma Medications
What Causes Asthma?
The most common chronic illness among children is asthma, affecting one out of 15 in North America alone. In addition, 5% of all adults also suffer from this disease. People who have this problem are suffering a chronic inflammation of the bronchial tubes in their lungs. When exposed to irritants, these tubes swell and constrict breathing.
There are a number of reasons for this illness to occur. Living environments containing smoke, dust mites, animal dander and allergens are some of the common environmental causes. Allergy to pollen grains, air pollutants from heavy traffic and strong smells also comes under this classification. There are also genetic reasons which can result in it.
Common Symptoms
The symptoms for this asthma are easy to identify and are often the same for a group of patients exposed to similar conditions. Severe panting, coughing and wheezing are a few symptoms which are most common. These can be seen in susceptible persons after a hard bout of exercise or running. It can be also be caused by stress. Other symptoms include heavy breathing, vocal cord dysfunction, and hyper responsiveness. Unfortunately, these are also symptoms of other respiratory and heart conditions so it makes it hard to diagnose.
The Goals Of Asthma Treatment
Medical treatment is based on the principle of removing or reducing the symptoms rather than curing the disease. Every person has a unique physiology so it is advisable to take a doctor's opinion before going for a particular line of treatment. After a physical exam to identify the severity of the attacks and a medical history to list possible triggers, the doctor will plan a long-term treatment of medications to take on a daily basis. The treatment can be based on long-term preventive measures or a short-term rescue drug which causes fast relief.
Anyone receiving medication is wise to go on the Internet and check out the drug prior to permanent damage being done. Many times using certain drugs is like playing Russian roulette, never knowing when an even more serious condition will develop.
Types Of Asthma Medications
The most commonly used medications are bronchodilators for relaxing bronchial spasms and corticosteroids to reduce inflammation of the lungs. Inhaling these medications is preferred to those which are prepared in tablet or liquid form. This is because it immediately comes in contact with the problem, relaxes the spasms, and has less side effects as well. Medications must be closely supervised by your doctor. So tell your doctor about any good reactions or bad side effects as soon as it happens.
Possible Side Effects
Unfortunately, many drugs on the market have many side effects. Some people can take asthma medication with no ill effects. With others, a number of side effects have been reported. Some noted side effects are nausea, vomiting, headache, seizures, heart failure, bone fractures, high blood pressure, and hives.
Asthma medication is also on sale over the counter. When making a purchase of this type, it is vital to check the enclosed literature which lists the product's side effects. Many people are sensitive to various drugs and can become very ill when they get the wrong ones.
Overall, the goal of medical treatment is to control asthmatic symptoms as well as prevent any possible future episodes. When you have asthma, you need to be under the care of a doctor who can track the various changes of the disease, your reaction to medications and treat accordingly.
The most common chronic illness among children is asthma, affecting one out of 15 in North America alone. In addition, 5% of all adults also suffer from this disease. People who have this problem are suffering a chronic inflammation of the bronchial tubes in their lungs. When exposed to irritants, these tubes swell and constrict breathing.
There are a number of reasons for this illness to occur. Living environments containing smoke, dust mites, animal dander and allergens are some of the common environmental causes. Allergy to pollen grains, air pollutants from heavy traffic and strong smells also comes under this classification. There are also genetic reasons which can result in it.
Common Symptoms
The symptoms for this asthma are easy to identify and are often the same for a group of patients exposed to similar conditions. Severe panting, coughing and wheezing are a few symptoms which are most common. These can be seen in susceptible persons after a hard bout of exercise or running. It can be also be caused by stress. Other symptoms include heavy breathing, vocal cord dysfunction, and hyper responsiveness. Unfortunately, these are also symptoms of other respiratory and heart conditions so it makes it hard to diagnose.
The Goals Of Asthma Treatment
Medical treatment is based on the principle of removing or reducing the symptoms rather than curing the disease. Every person has a unique physiology so it is advisable to take a doctor's opinion before going for a particular line of treatment. After a physical exam to identify the severity of the attacks and a medical history to list possible triggers, the doctor will plan a long-term treatment of medications to take on a daily basis. The treatment can be based on long-term preventive measures or a short-term rescue drug which causes fast relief.
Anyone receiving medication is wise to go on the Internet and check out the drug prior to permanent damage being done. Many times using certain drugs is like playing Russian roulette, never knowing when an even more serious condition will develop.
Types Of Asthma Medications
The most commonly used medications are bronchodilators for relaxing bronchial spasms and corticosteroids to reduce inflammation of the lungs. Inhaling these medications is preferred to those which are prepared in tablet or liquid form. This is because it immediately comes in contact with the problem, relaxes the spasms, and has less side effects as well. Medications must be closely supervised by your doctor. So tell your doctor about any good reactions or bad side effects as soon as it happens.
Possible Side Effects
Unfortunately, many drugs on the market have many side effects. Some people can take asthma medication with no ill effects. With others, a number of side effects have been reported. Some noted side effects are nausea, vomiting, headache, seizures, heart failure, bone fractures, high blood pressure, and hives.
Asthma medication is also on sale over the counter. When making a purchase of this type, it is vital to check the enclosed literature which lists the product's side effects. Many people are sensitive to various drugs and can become very ill when they get the wrong ones.
Overall, the goal of medical treatment is to control asthmatic symptoms as well as prevent any possible future episodes. When you have asthma, you need to be under the care of a doctor who can track the various changes of the disease, your reaction to medications and treat accordingly.
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