Asthma Management: Treatment, Procedure, Cost and Side Effects

Asthma is a condition that causes irritation and inflammation of the airways in the lungs. A person suffering from this condition finds it difficult to breathe. The mast cells, eosinophils and T-lymphocytes together with other inflammatory cells cause inflammation of the airways. This causes a person to experience period attacks of wheezing, coughing and even shortness of breath. A person suffering from asthma usually experiences during early morning or at night.

During an asthma attack, the muscles around the airways tighten thereby reducing the diameter. As a result, the flow of air reduces and the inflammation of the airways increases. Mucus is produced in the airways and this further impedes the flow of air. An asthma attack can occur by triggering agents like strong perfumes, certain types of food, pollens or moulds, respiratory infections like colds and influenza, cigarette smoke, medicines like aspirin and NSAIDs, psychological influences and other irritants like paint and varnish fumes, wood dust and flour and also changes in temperature. However, it is not always easy to understand the cause of asthma. It is often the combination of environmental and genetic factors.

Asthma is an incurable disease. However, the symptoms of the disease and the severity of the attacks can be curtailed by avoiding the triggers and also with the help of medications. Different medicines are used to treat asthma like relievers, preventers, combination inhalers and symptom controllers. Inhaled corticosteroids, leukotriene modifiers, long-acting beta agonists, combination inhalers and theophylline used for the long-term treatment of asthma. On the other hand, short-acting beta agonists, ipratropium and oral and intravenous corticosteroids provide quick relief from the symptoms of asthma.

Tests like peak expiratory flow, chest X-ray and spirometry help a medical practitioner to understand whether a person is suffering from asthma or not. Asthma is an incurable disease. So a person can, at the most, avoid triggers and also take medications to keep the symptoms at bay. Long-term medications like inhaled corticosteroids, leukotriene modifiers, combination inhalers, theophylline and long-acting beta agonists form the cornerstone for the treatment of asthma. The inhaled corticosteroids help reduce swelling and also tones down the body’s reaction to external triggers. A doctor generally will advise a patient to take these medicines regularly as they require a lot of time to start working. Relievers are generally bronchodilators and they cause the airways to relax by reducing constriction.

Combination inhalers contain the properties of both preventer and symptom controller medications. Generally, symptom controllers are used in combination with preventers and they help to relax the muscles of the airways. These medicines are generally taken twice a day.

Quick-relief medications like ipratropium, short-acting beta agonists and oral and intravenous corticosteroids are used to provide immediate relief during an attack. Short-acting beta agonists can be administered using a portable and hand-held inhaler or a nebulizer. Ipratropium is mostly used to relax the airways and thus makes it easier for a person to breathe. Oral and intravenous corticosteroids help to get relief from inflammation of the airways during severe asthma.

Allergy medications like allergy shots and Omalizumab medication can be used if asthma is triggered by some allergy. When all other medications fail, bronchial themoplasty is used to treat severe asthma.

A person suffering from asthma will experience symptoms like excessive coughing, wheezing, and tightness of his /her chest and shortness of breath. However, a person becomes eligible for treatment only after a doctor has diagnosed him/her to be suffering from this condition. There are a number of tests that can help to detect whether a person is suffering from asthma or not. These tests include chest X-ray, peak expiratory flow, spirometry, methacholine challenge, nitric oxide test, imaging tests and allergy testing.

A person is not eligible for treatment if he/she has not been diagnosed by a doctor after proper medical examination. A person is also not eligible for treatment if tests like chest X-ray, peak expiratory flow and spirometry have not diagnosed the person to be suffering from asthma. Some of the medications used to treat asthma have some serious side-effects. So people with some chronic conditions or some other ailments are not eligible to take those medicines.

The side effects associated with a symptom controller like formoterol can cause chest pain, throat pain, nervousness, wheezing, chocking and other breathing problems. It can also worsen the symptoms of asthma. The side-effects of a preventer, fluticasone, include sores and white patches in the mouth and throat, weakness, nausea, vomiting, symptoms of flu, running nose, fever, chills and noisy breathing. Side-effects associated with a reliever medication like terbutaline are headache, dizziness, drowsiness, palpitations, nervousness, shortness of breath and rapid heartbeats. Combination inhalers can cause a person’s voice to change by causing infections to form in the mouth and may also cause cough, throat pain, headache and cavities. Bronchial thermoplasty is a surgical procedure that can cause headache, increase in lactic acid content of the body, hyperglycemia, skeletal muscle tremor and potassium deficiency.

Asthma is an incurable disease. Thus, a person suffering from this condition needs to incorporate some changes into his/her lifestyle to avoid worsening the condition. He/she should stay away from environmental triggers and also devise a full-fledged plan to deal with the triggers. A seasonal influenza vaccination can go a long way to reduce the risk of influenza. Avoiding smoking and also avoiding coming in contact with smoke as it can trigger a violent episode of asthma attack.

Since asthma cannot be permanently cured, a person may need to take medications to deal with the symptoms. He/she will also need to make a number of lifestyle changes to prevent further triggering of the condition. Long-term medications like corticosteroids and beta-agonists need to be consumed for a lengthy period as they need time to work. The time required is also dependant on the severity of the attack and also on the constituency of the individual. Surgical interventions like bronchial thermoplasty help to reduce the onset of asthmatic attacks but do not treat the condition permanently.

Fluticasone, an inhaled corticosteroid, can cost something around Rs 1100 for 16 grams. 12-15 capsules of symptom controllers like foradil cost around R 4500. You have to shell out anything between Rs 650 and Rs 4000 to purchase short-acting beta agonists. Bronchial thermplasty is an expensive procedure and costs about Rs 10 lakhs.

There is no permanent treatment for asthma as it is an incurable disease. The medicines that we take help to reduce the symptoms or lessen the severity of an asthma attack. Even surgical procedures like bronchial thermoplasty act on the smooth muscles and reduce the severity. But the results are not permanent as a person may suffer from another asthmatic attack when he/she comes with some environmental triggers like smoke.

Taking care of oneself can help to better deal with the symptoms of asthma. Exercising regularly helps to prevent asthma attacks and also controls the symptoms. It is of paramount importance to maintain a healthy weight as otherwise the asthma symptoms can get worse. Sometimes acid reflux can damage lung airways and worsen asthma symptoms. So it is imperative to treat gastroesophagael reflux disease before expecting the symptoms of asthma to improve. Furthermore, incorporating ginger, garlic, turmeric, honey and omega-3 fatty acids in your diet can help to deal with the symptoms of asthma.