Treatments
The goals with asthma treatment are to:
Prevent or minimize the number of asthma attacks a patient has
Resolve asthma attacks quickly and reduce emergency room visits and hospitalizations
Achieve and maintain good asthma control
Minimize and slow the progression of lung damage
Identify, treat, and resolve where possible conditions that exacerbate asthma and complications associated with asthma or medication side effects
Educate patients and have them be an integral part of their treatment
Encourage an active normal lifestyle
Prevention of asthma attacks is a combination of avoiding substances that trigger episodes, having good asthma control, and recognizing and addressing the early signs of an impending attack. For more on this, visit the American Lung Association’s (ALA) web page on Home Control of Asthma.
Asthma treatment is tailored to the individual and depends upon the severity of the patient’s asthma. Both long-term and short-term controls must be addressed. Even people with mild intermittent asthma may occasionally have severe acute asthma attacks.
Patients should work with their doctor to become educated about and to monitor their or their child’s condition and to determine the best medications to treat their asthma over time. They should develop a treatment plan that guides their day-to-day asthma control, guides their actions when an asthma attack occurs, and helps them determine when they should seek medical attention. Doctors will take their entire clinical picture into account, as well as all of the drugs that they are taking to determine the best course of treatment. The ALA website has detailed information on asthma medicines and their use.
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