The Health Nut Blog

Asthma is a chronic disease that affects the airways, the tubes that carry air in and out of the lungs. Asthma is a very serious and common disease, one that affects millions of people around the world. And the number of sufferers climbs continually.

Asthma cannot be cured, but most people with the disease are able to relieve their asthma symptoms. It can be controlled to a point where they are able to live quite normally and not suffer from constant asthma attacks.

Treating an Asthma Attack

Your best approach is to prevent an asthma attack from occurring in the first place. Learn which conditions set off an attack, and do your best to avoid them. Nevertheless, there are times when an asthma attack can't be stopped. So knowing how to treat an asthma attack is essential.

Bear in mind that not all asthma attacks are alike. At times, your symptoms might be more severe than others. And in a severe asthma attack the airways can close up so much that not enough oxygen gets to the vital organs in the body. This is considered to be a medical emergency. Even death can be a result of a serious asthma attack. If you're one of the millions of people who suffer from asthma, it's important that you're aware of the seriousness of this condition.

Pharmaceuticals

Usually, medication is used to control an asthma attack. It can help asthma sufferers keep their condition under control and ward off an attack before it becomes serious. Asthma remedies are taken either orally or inhaled as a vapor using a metered dose inhaler.

Two kinds of medication are available that can be used to treat the condition. A bronchodilator will help out by keeping spasms in check. Anti-inflammatory treatments work by reducing the inflammation in the airways. If your asthma is particularly severe, your doctor may suggest that you use a combination of both.

There are some fantastic long-term medications available, including:

*leukotriene inhibitors such as Singulair and Accolade
*Serevent and Famoterol, long lasting bronchodilators, and
*Theophylline or Aminophylline.

Your doctor will know which one is best for you.

# posted by NeilG @ 7:43 AM