by Jorge Pérez
Conquering Your Asthma Once And For All
Asthma is a condition where due to certain stimuli a person experiences narrowing of air passages and difficulty in breathing. Treatment for asthma should be done under the guidance of a doctor and should be planned carefully. The key lies in recognizing the causes and managing the condition such that you are in control of the situation.
Treatments include:
1. Preventive action where you avoid situations that triggers off symptoms.
2. Practice meditation and breathing exercises to strengthen the air passages and lungs.
3. Exercise regularly to keep fit and to strengthen your heart as well as lungs.
4. Use air conditioning this will reduce your exposure to air born pollen and other triggers.
5. Keep your environment free of dust mites, pet dander, fur and feathers by regularly vacuuming and decontaminating your mattresses, pillows, sofas, throws, carpets, as well as curtains and covers.
6. Use inhalers which are of three types: aerosol inhalers; breath-actuated inhalers; and dry powder inhalers. These contain medication in aerosol form to provide immediate relief.
7. Drugs like short acting beta agonist namely salbutamol and terbutaline are first prescribed. The alternative medications are long acting beta2 agnostics like salmeterol or formoterol or antimuscarinics like ipratropium or oxitropium. In layman terms asthma medication is of two kinds anti-inflammatory medicines and bronchodilators. Common medicines are Albuterol, Altrovent, Pulmocort Respules.
8. Combination therapies where a steroid along with long acting medication are prescribed. Alternately, a combination of
1 2