Treatments of Asthma

Of all of the treatments of asthma currently available, the most well-known – and the most commonly used – are inhalers. Inhalers are small medical devices that spray a low level of a drug directly into your throat and lungs in order to provide relief of your asthma symptoms.

Despite sharing the same delivery system, there is more than one type of asthma inhaler.

Inhaler Treatments of Asthma

• Bronchodilators

Bronchodilators are designed to open up the bronchi in order to improve respiration. Bronchodilators come in two styles. Most people are familiar with short acting bronchodilators. These are the “emergency inhalers” that asthmatics use for immediate relief of asthma attacks. They can also be used in a preventative measure if asthma attacks are expected.

There are also long term bronchodilators. These are not designed for emergency relief since they are slow acting, but they have the potential to dilate your bronchi for roughly 12 hours or more in order to improve airway flow.

• Corticosteroids

Inhaled corticosteroids are considered one of the most effective long term treatments of asthma. These inhalers provide low doses of corticosteroids with minimal side effects, and have shown a great deal of potential to reduce inflammation of moderate asthma. Often these drugs are used in combination with bronchodilators to improve asthma management.

• Cell Stabilizers

Another type of anti-inflammatory drug is the cell stabilizer, of which there are several types. These drugs are not as effective at controlling moderate asthma, but are a great alternative to corticosteroids for mild asthma.

Features of Inhalers

In addition to these treatments of asthma, inhalers also come in different styles with features that may be necessary depending on the triggers of your asthma. Some of these features include:

• Spacers – Spacers are placed in some inhalers to make it easier to inhale the entire dose. They hold onto the medication while you’re breathing in so that you can consume it slowly and get the full effect. 
• Metered Dose – Metered dose inhalers are designed to provide you with the perfect dosing amount from within the device. This ensures that you get the full amount every time you use the inhaler.
• Counters – Inhalers may be necessary in the event of an emergency. This is why it’s important that you always have doses remaining. Some inhalers come with counters that tell you how many doses are left in the inhaler.
• Powder – There are also inhalers that use no spray at all. Instead, these inhalers use a dry powder that you inhale into your lungs. Some people prefer these types of inhalers because they avoid the inhalation of chemicals (used to spray the medication from traditional inhalers) but others find breathing in the powders to be difficult.

Inhalers are the most common and effective way to treat your asthma, both for emergency relief and long term management. However, if you use an inhaler and your symptoms don’t clear up, you should contact your doctor immediately as this could indicate a larger asthma problem.