Asthma Prevention

There are so many factors in the Asthma Prevention action plan as we are all different people, and suffer from this disease in varying ways and levels of severity.

 

In an ideal world, there would be no cigarette smoke, there would be no pollens and there would be no dust or other irritants which we know as triggers.

 

Preventing asthma is all about recognising and minimising these triggers to avoid the onset of an asthma attack.

 

Medication

 

Preventers and Relievers are the two main groups of asthma medication.

 

Preventer Medication

 

 

Preventer medication includes Pulmicort, Intal, and Flixotide. Preventers reduce the swelling inside the airways, dry up the mucus, and make the airways less sensitive.

 

They can take a few weeks to work so you may not notice an immediate improvement in your asthma.

 

Reliever Medication

 

Some relievers available include Ventolin, Foradile, and Oxis. Relievers are classified as short or long acting.

 

They allow the muscles around the airways to relax which makes breathing easier.

 

Short acting relievers provide quick relief of symptoms and relax the muscles around the airways for up to 4 hours.

 

Long acting relievers can provide muscle relaxation for up to 12 hours however they do not provide the quick relief like short acting relievers. They should also NOT be used in the event of an asthma attack.

 

Combination Medications

 

Combination medications are also available which are widely recognised as Seretide and Symbicort. These medications have a Preventer, and a Long Acting Reliever which will relax the airway muscles and allow easier breathing.

 

All medications used as a method of Asthma Prevention must be taken every day, even if you are feeling well. This will help to reduce the risk of an asthma attack and prevent any further lung damage.

 

Complimentary Therapies

 

Complimentary or alternative therapies are another method of Asthma Prevention.

 

These treatments only claim to treat asthma, with no research studies, or very few showing how effective they can be.

 

Some types of alternative medicines include yoga, acupuncture, and certain herbs and vitamins(Ephedra, vitamin C, and the chinese herb ding-chan tang which can relieve bronchospasm and decrease inflammation).

 

Warning: Ephedra has been linked to some unexplained deaths when used as a bronchodilator and has now been banned by the United States Food and Drug Administration for Asthma Prevention due to serious side effects experienced.

 

If you can protect your environment from allergens, this will only assist with your action plan.

 

It is always important that your general practitioner or nurse is aware of any other medication or dietary supplements that you are taking as part of your Asthma Prevention program as they might interfere with other medicines that the doctor may prescribe.

 

Being aware of what triggers an asthma attack and the allergy itself by minimising exposure to these triggers are the keys to an effective Asthma Prevention action plan.

 

Find out more about your Allergy here.