Top Asthma Medicine and Devices

If you know someone who has asthma, learning about the best and most effective medicines and devices for treating asthma can literally save a life.

Asthma is a chronic condition that can lead to life-threatening swelling in your airways that leads to the lungs. It needs ongoing treatment using medication or devices, and mostly, you will use different drugs and devices like inhalers and nebulizers.

There are two common approaches to managing asthma. The first one is to control the chronic inflammation regularly, and the second one is to be prepared for asthma attacks.

Some asthma symptoms can lead you to the emergency room.

Now, let us discuss the different asthma medications and devices available.

Medications

There is a wide range of quick-relief medications for asthma attacks, and there are also long-term control drugs available for treating asthma.

Quick Relief Medications

Bronchodilators are commonly used as a quick-relief medication when you first experience the symptoms of asthma. These provide a fast response.

A doctor will prescribe bronchodilators to help your airway passageways to expand, and they also help to clear the mucus from the lungs. These medications can relieve asthma symptoms, but do not totally control the inflammation that triggers asthma.

There is another type of drug that also helps to relieve asthma symptoms fast. It is called a beta2-agonist. Beta2-agonists can help reduce allergic reactions. Since airways have links to the mechanisms which cause allergies, they can be a big help in reducing the effects of asthma flare-ups.

Never take these medications more than twice a week. Taking them more often than intended is a symptom of how poorly you control your asthma. If you find yourself needing to use it more often, you should visit your doctor and ask for better ways to manage your condition. It is vital to bring a quick-relief inhaler all the time for urgent relief when they feel the symptoms of asthma attacks.

Quick-relief drugs or devices do not reduce inflammation that is why you should never use it as a long-term medication for asthma.

Long Term Medications

Taking long-term asthma control drugs daily is the most effective way to reduce the risk of severe asthma attacks.

One of the most effective long-term asthma reliefs is inhaled corticosteroids. These will relieve inflammation and will also limit your sensitivity to allergens that could cause a reaction in the airways.

But always remember that medicines can also lead to certain side effects like thrush or fungal infection in the mouth.

The risk of getting thrush can increase if corticosteroids come into contact with your mouth and throat. You can avoid this by using spacers or holding chambers as attachments to your inhaler. By using these, you can reduce the corticosteroid contact with your mouth and also reduce the risk of thrush.

It would help if you also rinsed your mouth often to help prevent the side effects of corticosteroids.

Devices for Asthma

Asthma devices are the most common way to carry asthma medications to the airways effectively. Nebulizers and inhalers are the most popular devices used for managing asthma drugs.

Peak Flow Meter

Another device called peak flow meter can also help a person using asthma monitor to check how their lungs are functioning.

You can use a peak flow meter at the comfort of your own home to monitor the progression of asthma treatment and the possibility of an upcoming attack.

Inhalers

Keeping an inhaler in your bag is important if you suffer from asthma attacks. It is a handheld asthma device that gives instant relief when you are experiencing an asthma attack.

Metered-dose inhalers release a pre-measured puff of medicine to make sure that the person who has asthma receives the right dose they need.

Dry powder inhaler is a type of inhaler that is in a powder form. This type of inhaler requires more effort when inhaling the medicine.

Nebulizers

Nebulizers are electronic devices that transform asthma drugs into a fine mist, and they do not need forceful inhalation.

Most of the time, nebulizers require a power supply, and they are also bulkier compared to inhalers.

Final Words

Choosing the right asthma medication might be hard. But the best way to know the best device for your condition is to ask your doctor. Doctors will give you the right prescription for the kind of device that you might need to control your asthma attacks.