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A chronic disease, asthma causes inflammation of the airways and people who suffer from it have recurring episodes of wheezing, coughing and difficulty in breathing. The severity of symptoms varies from person to person. It seems to get worst at night and early mornings. Exercising and exposure to cold can also bring about an asthma attack. Environmental factors and heredity seem to play a major role in this disease.
Asthma is said to have no cure as of yet, but there are various medications that allow an asthmatic person to live an almost normal life. Depending upon your age, symptoms and other factors, your doctor will prescribe the right asthma medications for you. To control your asthma, a combination of medications will be recommended to help you breathe better and provide you relief from the symptoms of asthma. You will need to consult your doctor periodically as the medications and dosages may have to be changed with the progress of the disease. Given here are some of the most commonly prescribed medications for asthma.
Various Medications For asthma
Inhaled Steroids
These are the most commonly prescribed medications for asthma as they are most effective in providing control on the asthma symptoms for longer terms. Inhaled steroids have anti-inflammatory properties that help to provide relief from the common symptoms that asthmatic patients suffer from. Some of the commonly prescribed inhaled steroids are aerobid, flovent, alvesco, azmacort and Qvar.
Oral corticosteroids
Oral corticosteroids may be described by your doctor to get relief from the symptoms of asthma. These medications are used in combination with other medications in order to control severe and sudden asthma attacks.
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Original price was: $20.10.$18.30Current price is: $18.30.Prednisone and prednisolone are the most commonly prescribed oral corticosteroids for asthma. These will take almost three hours to start working and should be taken exactly as prescribed by your doctor. Long term use can cause a variety of side effects.
Mast Cell Stabilizers
There are many mast cells that occur in our body naturally. These cells can cause inflammation in the body by releasing harmful substances. Mast cell stabilizers help prevent the release of such substances in the body and thus act to prevent the symptoms of asthma. Cromolyn is popularly used as a mast cell stabilizer and is given with a metered inhaler or using a nebulizer. It is most effective in the treatment of mild asthma.
Theophylline
This is another useful medication that helps in controlling the symptoms of asthma. It has to be taken in the oral form and has long lasting effects in preventing episodes of asthma attacks. Some of the commonly prescribed drugs for asthma treatment include uniphyl, slo-bid and theo-dur.
Bronchodilators
There are two types of bronchodilators. The short acting ones are useful to asthmatic patients as they work fast in relaxing the muscles in the airways. This provides immediate relief to the patients and helps them breathe easily. The long acting ones have longer lasting effects and should not be taken in place of short acting ones. Take these as per your doctor’s prescription which will also include a combination of anti-inflammatory.
These have to be taken as prescribed by your doctor and you should not miss any dose. It might cause side effects like nausea, diarrhea, vomiting, headache, etc. Your doctor will change the dosage if such symptoms are noticed. Regular blood tests are necessary if you are undergoing this therapy.
