How Asthma Is Treated

Lifestyle Changes

Asthma symptoms do not simply happen—they occur in response to exposure to a trigger of some sort that causes the bronchi (airways) to constrict and the production of mucus to go into overdrive, inhibiting the flow of oxygen to the lungs. There are several things you can do in your daily life to help prevent this from happening.

Self-Monitor

An important part of identifying and understanding your asthma triggers is measuring and tracking your asthma symptoms. You can monitor your asthma using two different methods:

• Monitor your peak expiratory flow rate (PEFR): This is a measure of how quickly your lungs can expel air during a forceful exhalation following a deep inhale. It’s measured using a portable device that you can use to regularly monitor your breathing status. PEFR changes can be an indication you should make changes in your medication or other treatment strategies.
• Track your symptoms: A record of when you have flare-ups and the circumstances in which they occur can reveal changes in the severity of your asthma and whether your medication is controlling it sufficiently.

Create an Asthma Action Plan

An asthma action plan is a written plan you create with your healthcare provider to help you obtain and maintain good asthma control.

Steer Clear of Triggers

The more able you are to avoid those things that set off or worsen your asthma symptoms, the better off you’ll be.

Medications

Different types of asthma medicines help with different types of symptoms. The two most common types of asthma medications are controller medicines and quick-relief medicines. What you use and when depends on several factors, including how severe your asthma is.

Complementary and Alternative Medicine (CAM)

The National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health notes that conventional medical treatments are best for effectively managing asthma symptoms. They report that there are no complementary health approaches that have good evidence that they can relieve asthma.

Summary

There is no cure for asthma, but it’s possible to control the condition and prevent flare-ups using a combination of treatments. Lifestyle changes, such as avoiding triggers, and using controller medications can reduce symptoms. Asthma attacks can be treated with rescue medications.

Frequently Asked Questions

• What is uncontrolled asthma?
  • You can use the “rule of twos” to tell if your asthma control is working: If you have symptoms or have to use your inhaler more than twice a week, if you wake up from sleep with symptoms more than twice a month, or if you refill your quick-relief medication more than twice a year, you may have uncontrolled asthma.
• What is severe asthma?
  • People with severe asthma have symptoms that are not adequately controlled by standard asthma medications. They may wake up nightly due to their symptoms and need to use a short-acting inhaler several times a day. Their symptoms are also likely to interfere with physical or daily activities.
• How do biologic medications help asthma?
  • Biologics are a newer class of drugs that are generally reserved for people with severe asthma. By blocking specific aspects of the body’s immune system and inflammation response, biologics can reduce asthma symptoms and improve quality of life.