What Is The Best Treatment For Asthma

How Do Doctors Diagnose Allergic Rhinitis

When someone could have allergic rhinitis, doctors consider symptoms, find out about the persons everyday surroundings and activities, do a physical examination, check asthma control and check for allergies.

Tell your doctor:

• When your symptoms started and whether they have become better or worse over time
• Whether you usually have symptoms at particular times of the year
• If anything or any places seem to make symptoms better or worse
• If you have any known allergic conditions and whether family members have allergies
• If you have tried any medicines, such as overthe-counter nasal sprays or tablets, and whether they made a difference.

Your doctor may:

• Measure how well your lungs are working, using a spirometer, or arrange for you to have this test. If you normally test your own lungs using a peak flow meter each day, bring your results.
• Offer allergy tests either skin-prick tests or blood tests or arrange for you to have these tests done by a specialist. Other methods that claim to test for allergy are not useful tests and should not be used.
• Suggest that you try using a nasal spray for a few weeks and come back.
• Refer you to an allergy specialist or an ear, nose and throat surgeon.

You may need to see a specialist if you have any symptoms that are not typical of allergic rhinitis, such as long-term sinus problems, polyps in the nose, pain, loss of hearing or sense of smell, persistent cough, or if only one nostril is always blocked or bleeding.

What Is The Best Medicine For Asthma

Every patient is different and will have different needs for their lifestyle and type of asthma. There is not one universal treatment for every person living with asthma. Some patients find relief with certain medicines, while others respond better to different ones. Using a nebulizer machine could be a convenient way to give children their asthma medication. Some of the more common asthma medications include fluticasone, prednisone, and salmeterol.

Asthma Lifestyle Home Remedies

In addition to following your treatment plan, you can try:

• Breathing exercises. These can lower the amount of medication you need to control your symptoms.
• Herbal and natural remedies. Things that may help improve asthma symptoms include:
• Black seed oil . Some studies have shown that it can help open airways.
• Caffeine. Itâs a mild bronchodilator, meaning it can open your airways, but it doesnât work as fast as medications. Avoid caffeine for several hours before any medical appointment that might include a lung function test.
• Choline. This helps your body work the way it should. You can get it in meat, liver, eggs, poultry, fish, shellfish, peanuts, and cauliflower, or from a supplement.
• Pycnogenol. You can get this pine bark extract as a supplement.

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Can Asthma Kill You

Unfortunately, asthma can lead to death if untreated. Asthma attacks constrict the airways, sometimes severely, and can keep a patient from breathing. Asthma can be a life-threatening health condition that almost always requires treatment. Asthma deaths are thought of as preventable since early treatment and patient education can be very effective.

Types Of Asthma Medication

Asthma can be well controlled with the appropriate medication in almost all people. The main types of medication are:

• Preventers that slowly make the airways less sensitive to triggers by reducing swelling and mucus inside the airways. This medication is taken daily.
• Relievers that act quickly to relax the tight muscles around the airways and are used when symptoms breakthrough, despite good asthma management. This medication is used during an asthma attack. Relievers can also be used to prevent exercise-induced asthma when prescribed by a doctor.
• Combination preventers that contain 2 different medications and act to reduce inflammation as well as relax the airway muscles.
• Dual purpose relievers that are used to treat breakthrough symptoms and work by relaxing airway muscles and providing anti-inflammatory action at the same time.

Some people with asthma require additional medication to maintain good health, including add-on medications and injectable medications for people with asthma which is difficult to control. Asthma Australias websiteprovides more detailed information about the different types of asthma medications.

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What Are The Signs And Symptoms Of Asthma

People with asthma usually have obvious symptoms. These signs and symptoms resemble many respiratory infections:

• Chest tightness, pain or pressure.
• Coughing .

With asthma, you may not have all of these symptoms with every flare. You can have different symptoms and signs at different times with chronic asthma. Also, symptoms can change between asthma attacks.

Knowing Your Asthma Action Plan Is Step One

For most people with asthma, managing the chronic condition involves a multi-pronged approach tailored to your symptoms and lifestyle.

Step one for everyone, however, is having a firm grasp of your asthma action plan.

Work with your doctor to create an asthma action plan that covers how to:

• Take your medication properly
• Quit smoking, if you do

In addition, monitor your symptoms carefully. Keep track of what they are, when they occur, and their severity.

Journal of Asthma and Allergy,

• In cold, dry air
• In environments with airborne irritants, such as cigarette smoke

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What Factors Should Patients Consider In Choosing And Using Otc Epinephrine Or Ephedrine

Despite the development of newer medications, epinephrine and ephedrine remain available as OTC medications. The choice of epinephrine or ephedrine should involve consideration of several factors. Most importantly, the asthma should be mild and less frequent, defined as occurring less than once per week and resolving almost immediately. Its best to use OTC epinephrine or ephedrine under the guidance of a physician, if used at all. A patient should seek medical attention and prepare to switch to a prescription asthma medication in most cases, but especially if:

OTC ephedrine is available only as an oral medication in combination with guaifenesin as caplets, tablets, or syrup. Use caution when first starting these products since they occasionally irritate the airways of some patients and may make the asthma worse. OTC ephedrine should provide relief of symptoms within 15-60 minutes and may continue to be effective for three to five hours. Continued use of ephedrine, like frequent use of epinephrine, leads to tolerance.

What Are The Best Ways To Treat My Asthma And Hay Fever

Treating asthma and hay fever is important.

Hay fever can trigger asthma or make it worse, making it harder to breathe.

Having both asthma and hay fever also means you may risk of thunderstorm asthma. Learn more about asthma and hay fever here

Hay fever is sometimes called allergic rhinitis because it is an allergic condition. People often use several strategies to manage their asthma and allergies.

This usually includes:

People have told us that the cost of their medicine is a factor that makes it hard to always be consistent with their hay fever and asthma management. If this applies to you, ask your doctor or pharmacist if there are any cheaper options that are suitable.

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How Do I Manage Exercise

There is no cure for asthma triggered by exercising or sports. Treatment focuses on preventing and relieving symptoms.

To avoid an episode, you should warm up for at least six minutes before starting exercise. Ask your provider to recommend the best warmup routine for your age and fitness level.

Your provider may recommend one medication or a combination of several medications. Some drugs open your airways while youre experiencing exercise-induced asthma. Other medications prevent an episode. These medications include:

Anyone Having Difficulty Using An Inhaler Can Try A Nebulizer

While not technically an inhaler, theres yet another option for inhaling medicine.

Nebulizer If you have severe asthma and are unable to use a regular inhaler, a nebulizer may be a better option.

This machine turns liquid medicine into a fine mist that you inhale through a mouthpiece, a mask that fits over your nose and mouth, or into your mouth alone.

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Is There A Cure For Allergic Asthma

Theres no cure for allergic asthma. Therefore, its important to adhere to your treatments and follow your doctors advice.

Doing so can prevent severe complications, such as airway remodeling, which is permanent narrowing of the breathing passages. This complication affects how well you can inhale air in and exhale air out of your lungs.

Can Medicine Alone Help My Asthma

Not usually. Although medicines help a lot, they may not be able to do the job alone. You have to avoid the things that cause or trigger your asthma symptoms as much as you can. Asthma triggers can be found outside or inside your home, school, or workplace.

Improving the indoor air quality in your home is an important part of asthma control. Your indoor air can be more polluted than outside air. Our interactive Healthy Home can show you ways to improve the indoor air quality of your home. A healthier home can reduce your exposure to allergens and irritants.

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Home Remedies For Asthma

1. Clove : Take 5-6 cloves and boil them in half a glass of water, followed by adding a spoon of honey. It is an excellent remedy in curing asthma at home and should be consumed twice in a day for beneficial results.

2. Ginger : Ginger has so many benefits on your health and body. It is equally effective against asthmatic treatments. Make a juice with equal quantities of ginger, pomegranate, and honey. Consume it 2-3 times a day for effective results.

Else, take one tbsp of ginger juice. Mix it up with a tbsp of honey and two tbsp of dried fenugreek seeds. Soak it overnight and consume it every morning to detoxify your lungs.

3. Mustard Oil : Take some mustard oil and mix camphor in it. Massage with it all over the chest, till you get relief from asthma. Make sure that you warm the oil before massaging with it so that your chest feels the warmth and gets relieved quickly.

4. Figs : Figs are another efficacious home remedy against asthma. Soak some dried figs in water, overnight. Eat them in the morning on an empty stomach. Also, drink the fig water for having effective relief from the problem of asthma.

5. Black Tea/ Coffee : Caffeine present in coffee helps asthma. Besides, it clears your air passage and makes way for air to enter and exit easily through those passages. If you are not a coffee person, you can opt for black tea. But, make sure that you consume no more than 3 cups in a day.

The Lung Vaccination Working Group

Established in 2018, the Lung Vaccination Working Group is a national coalition of healthcare organizations, co-chaired by Asthma Canada and Immunize Canada, working collaboratively to raise awareness about the importance of vaccination and to increase rates of immunization among adults affected by respiratory conditions.

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How Is Asthma Diagnosed

Often, asthma symptoms are what lead to an initial diagnosis of a patient. These can include wheezing, cough, frequent respiratory infections, and difficulty breathing. Airway reactivity and inflammation cause these breathing problems. Asthma diagnoses usually happen in childhood, but the age of diagnosis may vary depending on when the patient’s first flare-up occurs.

A pediatrician, pulmonologist, primary care provider, or an allergist are all specialists that can diagnose asthma. During the exam, the healthcare provider will ask the patient about any potential risk factors such as asthma triggers and a history of asthma symptoms before moving onto a physical exam. Asthma is not contagious, but it may be hereditary.

During the physical exam, the doctor will evaluate the patient for signs of allergies and monitor the patient’s breathing. The doctor may also perform several diagnostic tests to determine if the patient has asthma. These tests include:

What Is An Asthma Action Plan

An asthma action plan is a set of instructions for managing your asthma or your childs asthma. The plan is made by you and your doctor together, and then written down for you to keep.

An asthma action plan includes:

• a list of the persons usual asthma medicines, including doses
• instructions on what to do when asthma is getting worse, when to take extra doses or extra medicines, and when to contact a doctor or go to the emergency department
• what to do in an asthma emergency
• the name of the doctor or other health professional who prepared the plan
• the date.

Everyone with asthma should have their own, personalised asthma action plan. Asthma action plans should be checked and updated at least once a year. Bring your action plan or your childs action plan whenever you visit your doctor.

We have a number of asthma action plan examples available as well as action plans in other languages.

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Buy A Vacuum With A Hepa Filter

HEPA filters arent just handy in the bedroom: Theyre highly useful for sucking up pet allergens and mold spores, Parikh says. A HEPA filter in the vacuum is key, Ogden says. Otherwise, you might as well not be vacuuming. The filter helps ensure that allergens stay sealed in the vacuum, she explains without it, you may re-expose yourself to the allergens youve already sucked up. While any vacuum with a HEPA filter should do the trick, Ogden likes Shark vacuums, which have a double-sealed system to keep allergens locked away.

Will I Always Have To Take The Same Amount Of Medicine

Not always. You will probably take more medicine when you begin treatment to get control of your asthma. Work with your doctor to learn which medicine control your asthma best and how much you need. Once your asthma is well-controlled, your doctor may be able to reduce the amount of medicine you take. The goal is to gain control of your asthma as soon as possible and then control it with as little medicine as possible. Once long-term anti-inflammatory therapy begins, your doctor should monitor you every one to six months. This is to see how your asthma medicines are working and if your asthma is well controlled.

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Heres How To Use An Inhaler

Signs Of Good Asthma Control

A person is applying treatment effectively if the following apply:

• coughing and breathlessness occurs on no more than 2 days per week
• they need quick-relief medicines on fewer than 2 days per week
• they are maintaining good lung function
• their activity levels remaining normal
• asthma symptoms are waking them from sleep on fewer than 1 to 2 nights per month
• they do not need emergency medical treatment
• they are experiencing one or fewer asthma attacks per year that require corticosteroid treatment
• peak flow is staying higher than 80 percent of the personal best

Good control also means people need to be avoiding asthma triggers and allergens as well.

Two types of medication are common in asthma treatment.

One type usually provides immediate relief from asthma attacks and episodes.

The other type supports long-term control of the disease, including reduced airway inflammation and prevention of asthma symptoms.

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Homeopathic Remedies For Asthma Attack

1. Arsenicum album : A person who feels really worn-out and restless needs this medication, even more so if he/she feels difficulty in breathing, especially while lying down. The problem might be accompanied by frothy white fluid during coughing.

2. Carbo vegetabilis : When a person feels extremely weak or has a feeling of getting faint, this medication is used. Other symptoms may include burping, frequent passing of gas, and an upset stomach.

3. Chamomilla : When a person becomes overexcited or very angry, experiences dry cough with irritation, this medication is helpful. The person also becomes hypersensitive along with the above symptoms.

4. Ipecacuanha : When coughing eventually leads to vomiting, this homeopathic medication is suggested. Other symptoms include accumulation of mucus in the air passages and difficulty in coughing out.

5. Natrum sulphuricum : When a person feels so weak that he/she holds his/her chest while coughing, this medication is recommended. Conditions become worse in the early morning, and the person finds it difficult to breathe while getting up from bed.

Other useful homeopathic medications include Nux vomica, Pulsatilla, and Spogia tosta.

Treatment Of Acute Asthma Exacerbations

, DO, Wake Forest Baptist Health

• Videos

The goal of asthma exacerbation treatment is to relieve symptoms and return patients to their best lung function. Treatment includes

Corticosteroids Leukotriene modifiers Mast cell… read more .)

Patients having an asthma exacerbation are instructed to self-administer 2 to 4 puffs of inhaled albuterol or a similar short-acting beta agonist up to 3 times spaced 20 minutes apart for an acute exacerbation and to measure peak expiratory flow if possible. When these short-acting rescue drugs are effective , the acute exacerbation may be managed in the outpatient setting. Patients who do not respond, have severe symptoms, or have a PEF persistently & lt 80% should follow a treatment management program outlined by the physician or should go to the emergency department .

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