Asthma and Drugs

Why Is Medication
Important for Asthma?

It is important to get the right medication for asthma.

A lot of people today suffer from asthma. About eight percent of the World's population. But only ten percent of these people, in industrialized countries alone, have access to the asthma drugs they need.

Asthma is a chronic or long-term condition that makes it hard to breathe. At its worst, asthma can be fatal.

If a person has asthma the airways or breathing passages are extra sensitive.

These are some of the things that can happen. The airways can:

  • Become red and swollen - airways get inflamed inside.
  • Fill up with mucus - which make the airways narrower so it's harder to breathe.
  • Become "twitchy" and spasm - leaving less room for the air to pass through.

The more red and swollen the airways are, the more twitchy they become, which makes them more red and swollen. So you can see what the problem is.

Asthma symptoms patterns can be:

  • year round or seasonal
  • continual or having different times of duration, severity and frequency

These are some things that may also cause asthma attacks:

  • allergens
  • occupation
  • medications
  • exercise

People with asthma need to know about triggers.

 

Treatment

 

There are two types of medications for asthma: quick relief and long term control.

Quick relief:
This asthma drug is used to treat acute attacks. Inhalers are a perfect example for this because they can stop ongoing asthma attacks. Inhaled medications act directly in the airway surfaces and muscles where the problems start.

Long term:
Asthma drugs are also used as a part of a plan to reduce the symptoms. Examples of these drugs are omalizumab and xolair. These asthma drugs are recommended for more severe asthma patients. They work by relaxing spasms or reducing inflammation.

Asthma Myths

Asthma can be controlled, not cured.

Some people believe things like:

  • asthma is all in the mind
  • asthma can be cured and is not serious
  • moving to a desert will cure asthma
  • asthma drugs are habit forming
  • asthma does not require medical treatment
  • asthma is contagious
  • lots more . . .

The problem is that lots of people will believe the myths and then not take care of what could be a curable condition. If you take the drugs.

And that can be dangerous.

Asthma can kill.

The best way to handle asthma is to know as much as possible. Read books and articles, check out leads t you can find on the internet and, of course, talk to your doctor and health insurance agent.