Destination anti-asthma treatment is to free people from asthma attacks. This can be achieved by treating asthma attacks that are happening or prevent asthma attacks should not be happening.
Treat here is not meant to cure disease, but eliminate the symptoms of shortness, cough, or wheezing. Things that have been free of asthma symptoms is to be maintained in order to further asthma attacks do not come back.
The drugs can make asthma sufferers to live a normal life. Immediate treatment to control asthma attacks differ from routine treatment to prevent asthma attacks.
To treat asthma attack is happening is necessary cure asthma symptoms immediately. The drug is made up of groups bronchodilators and systemic corticosteroids group.
Bronchodilators means drugs that can dilate the airways by relaxing muscles in the airways that are shrunken, whereas corticosteroids are allergy medications and anti-inflammatory is given by the systemic objectives distributed throughout the body via blood circulation.
There is a group of people who so often under attack that almost never had the asthma symptom-free. This is called chronic state that can last for months and even years. The treatment requires a long period of time each day and the patient must take medication.
1. Receptor agonists Beta-2 adrenergic
The best medicine is to reduce asthma attacks that occur suddenly and to prevent attacks that may be triggered by exercise. Bronchodilators stimulated by widening the airway beta-adrenergic receptors.
Bronchodilators that work on all receptor beta-2 adrenergic (eg adrenaline), causing side effects of rapid heartbeat, anxiety, headaches and tremors (shaking) muscle.
Bronchodilators are only working on the receptor beta-2 adrenergic (mainly found in the cells in the lungs), have few side effects on other organs. These bronchodilators (eg albuterol), causes fewer side effects compared with bronchodilators that work on all receptor beta-2 adrenergic.
Most of bronchodilators work in a few minutes, but the effect only lasts for 4-6 hours. Newer bronchodilators have a longer effect, but because it works more slowly at first, then the drug is more widely used to prevent attacks.
Bronchodilators available in the form of tablets, injections or inhalers (inhaled drugs) and very effective. Inhalation bronchodilators will precipitate the drug directly into the airways, so the first work quickly, but can not reach the airway becomes blocked heavy.
Bronchodilators by mouth (swallowed) and injections can reach the area, but has side effects and at work tend to be slow. Another type of theophylline bronchodilators. Theophylline is usually given by mouth (swallowed); available in various forms, tablets and syrup mulaidari short-acting capsules and tablets to long-acting.
In an asthma attack severe disease, can be given intravenously (through the blood vessels). The amount of theophylline in the blood can be measured in the laboratory and should be monitored closely, because the amount is too small will not give effect, while the amount is too much can cause abnormal heart rhythms or seizures.
At the time of first taking theophylline, the patient may feel a little sick or nervous. Both these side effects usually disappear when the body can adjust to the medication.
In larger doses, the patient could feel the rapid heartbeat or palpitations (heart pounding). Can also occur insomnia (difficulty sleeping), agitation (anxiety, fear of), vomiting, and seizures.
2. Corticosteroids
Corticosteroids block the inflammatory response and is very effective in reducing asthma symptoms. If used in the long term, corticosteroids will gradually decrease the likelihood of causing penyakitasma attacks by reducing airway sensitivity to some stimuli.
But the use of tablets or the long-term corticosteroid injections can cause:
• disruption wound healing process
• impaired growth of children
• loss of calcium from bone
• bleeding gastric
• cataract premature
• increase in blood sugar levels
• weight gain
• hunger
• mental disorders
Corticosteroid tablets or injections can be used for 1-2 weeks to reduce attacks of severe asthma. Corticosteroids by mouth (swallowed) is given for the long term only if other treatments can not control the asthma symptoms.
For long-term use corticosteroid inhalers are usually given because the inhalers, the drug reached the lungs 50 times more than the drug to the other body parts.
3. Cromolin and Nedocromil
Both drugs were allegedly blocking the release of inflammatory substances from mast cells and cause reduction in airway shrinkage possibility. This drug is used to prevent attacks, not to treat an attack.
These drugs are particularly effective for children and asthma due to exercise. This drug is very safe, but relatively expensive and must be taken regularly even though the patient free of symptoms.
4. Anticholinergic drugs
These drugs work by blocking the smooth muscle contraction and the formation of excessive mucus in the bronchi by acetylcholine. Furthermore, this drug will lead to widening of the airways in patients who previously had consumed agonist beta2-adrenergic receptor. Examples of these drugs are atropine and ipratropium bromide.
5. Modifier Leukotrien
Is a new drug to help control asthma. These drugs prevent the action or formation leukotrien (chemicals made by the body causing symptoms of asthma). Example montelucas, zafirlucas and zileuton.
Treatment for Acute Asthma Attacks
An asthma attack should get treatment as soon as possible to open the airways. Drugs used to prevent also used to treat asthma, but in higher doses or in a different form.
Receptor agonist beta-2 adrenergic is used in the form of inhalers (inhaled medications) or as a Nebulizer (for shortness of breath very heavy). Nebulizer directs air or oxygen under pressure through a solution of the drug, resulting in the fog to be inhaled by the patient.
Treatment of asthma can also be done by giving or terbutalin epinephrine injection under the skin and aminophylline (theophylline similar) via intravenous infusion.
Patients who experience a great attack and showed no improvement on other medications, corticosteroid injections can get, usually intravenously (through the blood vessels).
In the asthma attack is usually severe low blood oxygen levels, which are given extra oxygen. In the event of dehydration, may need to be given fluids intravenously. If the suspected infection, given antibiotics.
During an asthma attack is severe, do:
• examination of oxygen and carbon dioxide levels in the blood
• examination of lung function (usually with a spirometer or peak flow meter)
• chest X-ray examination.
Asthma Treatment Long Term
One of the asthma treatment is most effective is an agonist inhalers containing receptor beta-2 adrenergic. Excessive use of inhalers can cause heart rhythm disturbances.
If the use of bronchodilators inhaler 2-4 times / day for 1 month was not able to reduce the symptoms, can be added to corticosteroid inhalers, cromolin or leukotrien modifier. If symptoms persist, especially at night, can also be added theophylline by mouth.