Allergic Asthma Treatment
If you are one of the many people in the United States suffering from allergic asthma (a life-long ailment that causes swelling of lung airways), then several allergic asthma treatment methods available can help reduce its symptoms allowing you to enjoy an almost normal life.
Rescue Inhalers (Short-Acting Bronchodilators)
Rescue inhaler, a small-portable device containing asthma medication, provides quick relief within 30 minutes of using it and should be carried at all times. This treatment remains effective for 6 hours or less.
Additionally, it can be used in advance whenever someone anticipates possible attacks due to arduous tasks being undertaken.
This treatment works by expanding your lung airways thereby creating much-needed relief.
Rescue inhalers, however, can cause side effects such as nervousness, hyperactivity and an increased heart rate.
Inhaled Corticosteroids
These are steroids prescribed by your doctor meant to be inhaled every day to bring asthma under control. Just like rescues inhalers, they are taken through a portable device, and they help suppress lungs’ airways inflammation.
This type of allergic asthma treatment will keep asthma in check for long periods and therefore reducing the need for regular use of rescue inhalers.
Long-Acting Bronchodilators
Long-acting bronchodilators, when used alone, do not control asthma and hence should be used with inhaled steroids. They help reduce airways inflammation for longer periods, normally over half a day. Your doctor should prescribe it to be used two times a day.
Formoterol and Salmeterol are examples of long-acting bronchodilators.
Side effects are several and include a headache, tremor, anxiety and increased heart rate.
Anti-Leukotriene Drugs
Anti-Leukotriene is second level and alternative treatment for asthma. They interfere with leukotriene (inflammatory molecules) activity, thereby stopping a possible asthma attack.Specific Anti-Leukotriene medications are leukotriene biosynthesis inhibitors (zileuton) and leukotriene receptor antagonists (montelukast, zafirlukast, pranlukast).
Oral Corticosteroids
Pills such as Prednisone is taken daily to prevent a severe asthma attack from occurring. This medication reduces swelling and narrowing of the throat.
Long-term use of this treatment is however not recommended because of possible side effects such as ulcers, weight gain, stomach upsets and mood swings.
Antibody Treatment
Antibody treatment is the recommended treatment for chronic asthma not responding to systemic or inhaled corticosteroids anti-inflammatory treatment.This method targets and stops the activity of specific molecules that cause airway inflammation.
Immunotherapy
Immunotherapy, also called hyposensitisation, is a type of allergic asthma treatment where allergens are injected under the skin to significantly reduce asthma.
Possible several side effects are rash, wheezing and breathlessness. On rare instances, a fatal reaction can occur.
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