Steroid Tablets For Asthma
Steroid tablets also come in a soluble or liquid form. They contain a higher dose of steroids than a preventer inhaler.
Your GP will work out how much you need to take, and for how long, depending on your symptoms and how long it takes you to recover.
- For adults, steroid tablets are usually prescribed for at least five days.
- For children, steroid tablets are usually prescribed for at least three days.
- If you need a longer course of steroid tablets, your GP or asthma nurse will make sure these are prescribed at the lowest possible dose. You may need to take them for weeks or a few months at a time, depending on the number of steroid tablets youre prescribed, or how long it takes you to fully recover.
Your course of steroids may be longer depending on how long it takes you or your child to fully recover, says Dr Andy. Its important that you come off them gradually if youve taken them for three weeks or more.
What Are Cough Medicines
Cough medicines aim either to suppress a dry cough, or to help you to cough up the extra phlegm of a chesty cough when you have a URTI. There is little good evidence that they do help. This is partly because many coughs get better quickly on their own anyway, so it is hard to tell if the medicine has helped or if the cold has simply got better.
Lots of cough medicines are available to buy from pharmacies or supermarkets. They usually contain one or more active ingredient .
A glycerin, honey and lemon cough medicine is also available to buy. This preparation does not have an active ingredient as such. It is thought to have a soothing action.
Cough medicines can also contain other medicines such as paracetamol or ibuprofen. Some contain alcohol.
Can I Buy Something Similar Cheaper Elsewhere
One of the most common questions that a lot of customers ask is, Can I buy something similar cheaper elsewhere? The short answer is no. When you are looking for a quality cough medicine for adult with asthma, the most important thing to know is that cheap is not always better. You should carefully research the best cough medicine for adult with asthma before buying and consult the prices on some online sales websites to make the best decision.
Also Check: How Does Dupixent Help Asthma
What Is Bronchial Thermoplasty
Bronchial thermoplasty is an outpatient surgical procedure. It is for adults ages 18 and older with poor asthma control. These people have severe persistent asthma symptoms despite using standard therapy. This includes a combination of inhaled corticosteroids and a long-acting bronchodilator.
The procedure is performed in three outpatient visits under moderate or general anesthesia. A pulmonologist or other qualified physician inserts a long, slender tube called a bronchoscope into the lungs and surrounding airways. They then heat and shrink the size of muscle tissue. This allows more air to pass through and make breathing easier.
Side effects may include a short-term worsening of asthma symptoms. These side effects usually resolve within a week.
If you have severe and difficult-to-control asthma, talk with your doctor to determine if the procedure is right for you. Be sure to check your health insurance to confirm if the procedure is covered.
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.
Don’t Miss: Is Allergy Induced Asthma Dangerous
Best Cough Medicine For Asthma
When it comes to cough medicine, not all cures are created equal. Most of the traditional medications for coughs and colds are highly addictive. If you are an asthmatic, it is imperative that you stay away from these chemicals because they are not only addictive but dangerous to your health as well. It is also important to remember that while they may relieve the symptoms of your cough, they will do nothing to cure or even treat your condition. So if you or someone you know has an asthma condition, it would be wise to seek medical advice before trying any cough medicine.
It is important to remember that although asthma and cough medicine may seem to be similar, its important to not jump to the first medication you find on the shelf. Many times, these medicines can be highly dangerous to your health because they contain ingredients that can worsen your asthma condition. One type of medicine that you should steer clear of is cough syrup, which can cause an asthma attack. You can also try over the counter medicine such as Advil and Motrin. These types of medicines are available without a prescription and dont have any side effects.
What Are Mast Cell Inhibitors For Asthma
Cromolyn sodium and nedocromil are used to prevent allergic symptoms like runny nose, itchy eyes, and asthma. The response is not as potent as that of corticosteroid inhalers.
How mast cell inhibitors work
These drugs prevent the release of histamine and other chemicals from mast cells that cause asthma symptoms when you come into contact with an allergen . The drug is not effective until four to seven days after you begin taking it.
Who should not use these medications
Individuals who are allergic to any components of the inhaled product should not take these drugs.
Use
Frequent dosing is necessary, since the effects last only six to eight hours. Mast cell inhibitors are available as a liquid to be used with a nebulizer, a capsule that is placed in a device that releases the capsule powder to inhale, and handheld inhalers.
Drug or food interactions
Since these drugs have little or no effect beyond the area applied, they are unlikely to interact with other drugs. Mast cell inhibitors may cause a cough, irritation or unpleasant taste.
Side effects
These drugs are only effective for prevention and are not to be used to treat an acute asthma attack.
Read Also: Can An Asthma Attack Kill You
Read Also: What Is Asthma And Its Symptoms
Can Allergy Shots Treat My Asthma
Children who get allergy shots are less likely to get asthma, recent studies show, but there are asthma shots specifically for adolescents and adults. Since allergies are an asthma trigger, it makes sense that if you control them, youâll have fewer asthma attacks.
Ask your doctor if allergy shots might work for you.
The Importance Of Self
Asthma is a chronic condition, which means that there is no cure. However, people can often manage the condition with a combination of daily and rescue medications.
Moreover, self-care is important for people with asthma. Individual responsibility and action are essential for the prevention of asthma attacks.
In combination with a medically sound asthma action plan, home remedies for asthma can be very helpful and play an important role in keeping the condition under control.
Don’t Miss: How Can I Get Asthma
Side Effects Of Steroids
Like all prescription drugs, there is a risk of side effects when you take steroids. But your GP will only ever prescribe them if the benefits outweigh the risks.
Its also worth remembering that youll be kept on the lowest possible dose of steroids to manage your asthma, which will help minimise the chances of having side effects.
Side effects from your steroid preventer inhaler
Inhaled steroids are usually in a very low dose and have few or no side effects. However, they can sometimes cause side effects like a sore throat or thrush.
Using your inhaler in the best way, with a spacer, and rinsing your mouth out, cuts your risk of side effects – the steroid medicine youre inhaling goes straight down into the airways and very little is absorbed into the rest of the body, says Dr Andy. If youre taking a higher dose your GP or asthma nurse will keep a closer eye on you to monitor side effects.
Find out more about your preventer inhaler and possible side effects here.
Side effects from a short course of steroid tablets
Most people who take a short course of oral steroids wont experience significant side effects. Youre more likely to notice side effects if youre on a high dose.
Although the dose of steroid going into your body is higher if youre taking them in tablet form, any side effects like stomach upset, increased appetite, and mood swings are usually temporary and will stop once the course of tablets has finished.
Side effects for your child with asthma
Who Can Get Asthma
Anyone can develop asthma at any age. People with allergies or people exposed to tobacco smoke are more likely to develop asthma. This includes secondhand smoke and thirdhand smoke .
Statistics show that people assigned female at birth tend to have asthma more than people assigned male at birth. Asthma affects Black people more frequently than other races.
You May Like: How To Get Rid Of Phlegm Asthma
Side Effects Of Steroid Tablets
Oral steroids carry a risk if they are taken for more than three months or if they are taken frequently . Side effects can include:
- muscle weakness
With the exception of increased appetite, which is very commonly experienced by people taking oral steroids, most of these unwanted effects are uncommon.
However, it is a good idea to keep an eye out for them regularly, especially side effects that are not immediately obvious, such as high blood pressure, thinning of the bones, diabetes and glaucoma.
You will need regular appointments to check for these.
Read further information:
Personal Asthma Action Plan
As part of your initial assessment, you should be encouraged to draw up a personal asthma action plan with your GP or asthma nurse.
If you’ve been admitted to hospital because of an asthma attack, you should be offered an action plan before you go home.
The action plan should include information about your asthma medicines, and will help you recognise when your symptoms are getting worse and what steps to take. You should also be given information about what to do if you have an asthma attack.
Your personal asthma action plan should be reviewed with your GP or asthma nurse at least once a year, or more frequently if your symptoms are severe.
As part of your asthma plan, you may be given a peak flow meter. This will give you another way of monitoring your asthma, rather than relying only on symptoms, so you can recognise deterioration earlier and take appropriate steps.
Read further information:
Read Also: Can You Get Asthma In Pregnancy
Nocturnal Asthma Medical Treatment
There is no cure for nocturnal asthma, although there are treatments to get it under control. Discuss your symptoms with your GP or asthma nurse and they will be able to recommend the best treatment plan for you. Medical treatment for nighttime asthma could include:
- Preventer inhaler. This delivers a dose of steroid medicine that you breathe in to damp down inflammation and swelling in the airways. Using a preventer inhaler regularly builds up protection so you are less sensitive to triggers. Good day-time control of your asthma will reduce flare-ups at night.
- Reliever inhaler. This delivers a dose of fast-acting medicine such as salbutamol that will open up the airways and help relieve the symptoms of nocturnal asthma. Keep it beside your bed so you can use it as soon as you have an attack at night.
- Combination inhalers. If your other inhalers are not helping, you might need a combination inhaler that mixes the medication and stops symptoms occurring while also providing relief if they do occur.
- Leukotriene Receptor Antagonists . This medicine is given in tablet-form and sometimes used in addition to inhalers to help with severe asthma symptoms and night-time attacks.
Recent blogposts
Antimonium Tartaricum For Asthma With Shortness Of Breath And Rattling Cough
Antimonium Tartaricum is an excellent remedy for asthma with rapid, short and difficult breathing as if gasping for air. The suffocation worsens on lying down, with a need to sit up. The cough is loose, there is excessive rattling and the lungs feel full of mucus. Mucus from the lungs comes out with much difficulty. Sometimes there is dizziness present along with cough. It gets better by lying on the right side and worse from cold and damp weather.
When and How to Antimonium Tart?
Its therapeutic use is symptoms such as shortness of breath, suffocated and supressed breathing with excessive rattling of mucus. It is used in 30C potency and can be used once in a day. Normally higher potencies, 200C and 1M are not recommended. It is best to consult a homeopathic physician if there are no desired results after taking the medicine.
Don’t Miss: How Much Compensation Do You Get For Occupational Asthma
How Is Asthma Treated
Asthma medicines play a central role in the asthma management. Some medications prevent or reduce airway inflammation. Others interrupt the allergic reaction that triggers symptoms. Some relieve coughing and wheezing, making it easier to breathe.
Your doctor will work with you to find the right combination of medicines for optimal asthma control. They will adjust the type and amount based on your symptoms and the type of asthma that you have. The goal of asthma treatment is to have you feel your best with the least amount of medicine needed to control asthma.
Get to know your medications.
Understand how and why they treat and soothe your lungs and airways. If youre prescribed an inhaler, ask for one with a dose counter. Learn when and how youre supposed to use your inhaler and follow your plan to better breathing.
How To Get The Most Out Of Your Asthma Medicine
Asthma medicines do not cure asthma, but they can help improve your symptoms. The most important thing is to take your medicine exactly as your healthcare provider has instructed you to take them. That means, taking the right medicine at the right time and with the proper technique!
Set up a system that will work best for you and the people who help care for you:
- Make a medicine schedule showing what you take and when
- Ask a friend or family member to help you organize your “system”
- Connect taking your medicine with your routine habits, such as before or after certain meals or when you brush your teeth in the morning or evening
- Set an alarm to ring
- Use a weekly pill box that has sections for each day and different times of the day
When using metered-dose inhalers, which can be either a quick-relief medicine or a long-term control medicine, use a valved holding chamber to get the most of your medicines. Haven’t heard of this device? Learn about valved holding chambers and spacers.
You May Like: Nursing Care Plans For Asthma
How Do I Know If My Asthma Treatment Plan Needs Updating
Asthma is a condition that requires constant attention. An up-to-date Asthma Action Plan is important for disease control and to prevent asthma attacks. If you start to regularly experience symptoms during everyday activities, visit your asthma specialist to discuss whether you need to adjust your treatment plan.The Rules of Two is another way to find out if your treatment plan is working. If you answer yes to any of these questions, make plans to visit your asthma specialist.
- Do you need to use your quick-relief inhaler TWO or more times a week?
- Does your asthma wake you up TWO or more times a month?
- Do you refill your quick-relief inhaler TWO or more times a year?
- Do you use prednisone TWO or more times a year for flares of asthma?
- Does your peak flow vary when more than TWO TIMES 10 from baseline when you have asthma symptoms?
The Rules of Two is a registered trademark of the Baylor Healthcare System.
A Soothing Honey Drink
Honey is another very effective natural cure for CVA. The sweetness of honey stimulates your salivary glands to produce more saliva, which in turn lubricates your airways, easing your cough. It also has antioxidant properties that fight inflammation and boost immunity.
As store-bought honey often comes packed with additional taste-enhancing ingredients such as high fructose corn syrup or sugar, itâs best to visit a local health store to get premium-quality unadulterated raw honey.
- Add 1 tablespoon of raw honey to 1 glass of warm water or milk and drink it slowly. Repeat a few times a day. This drink will have a soothing effect on the throat.
- Alternatively, mix equal quantities of honey, ginger juice, and pomegranate juice. Consume 1 tablespoon of this mixture 2 or 3 times a day.
- Before going to bed, consume 1 to 2 teaspoons of raw honey with a little cinnamon powder.
- Add 1 tablespoon of raw honey to 1 glass of warm tea with lemon and drink slowly.
Note:Clostridium botulinum
Recommended Reading: Is Asthma A Autoimmune Disease
Will Aspirin And Other Pain Relievers Make My Asthma Worse
Aspirin and other drugs called nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs may be harmful for people who have asthma. Ibuprofen and naproxen are a few examples of NSAIDs. If you are allergic to aspirin, ask your doctor or pharmacist to make sure any new medicine you might take is not related to aspirin.
People who have asthma can usually take acetaminophen safely. This medicine is typically used to relieve fever and pain. Very rarely, even acetaminophen may make asthma worse, which has prompted further studies to explore the link between acetaminophen and asthma. If acetaminophen makes your asthma worse, tell your doctor. They can help you find another type of pain reliever.