Asthma is incurable because it is caused by a genetic change that, combined with certain environmental factors, can cause a narrowing of the airways and trigger symptoms such as severe breathing difficulties, coughing and wheezing.
However, there are certain medications and other forms of treatment that help control the disease, one can live many years with asthma and lead a completely normal life.
- Asthma treatment should always be guided by a pneumologist.
- As it is important to adapt the type of treatment and remedies used to each person’s asthma and symptoms.
- But treatment usually includes using medications to control asthma over time and other remedies to quickly relieve seizures.
Asthma can be controlled by the use of asthma medications, commonly known as “asthma inhalers.” Asthma remedies should be prescribed by the pneumologist after the diagnosis of asthma, which can be done by observing your symptoms and performing breath tests that show shortness of breath in the lungs.
In addition to the remedies to be used in case of emergency, the doctor should prescribe a remedy that must be inhaled daily to control the inflammation present in the bronchi, thus avoiding asthma attacks. These medications are usually used for life, but are well tolerated and the latter do not alter heart function. See a more complete list of remedies used in asthma.
As there is no cure, the person with asthma, in addition to using the medications indicated by the doctor, should also take daily precautions to keep symptoms more controlled, such as:
Some environmental factors can trigger an asthma attack, such as perfumes, air fresheners, household dust, or animal hair, such as dogs and cats. In some cases, intense exercise can cause an asthma attack, in which case exercise should be avoided until asthma is properly controlled.
The asthma home should always be clean and organized, with few surfaces that can accumulate dust and precautions should be taken especially in the individual’s room. The house should be cleaned daily with water and a damp cloth, and aromatic candles, incense, aerosols and high-smell cleaning products should be avoided.
Avoid carpets, curtains, stuffed animals, or thick blankets inside the house that can’t be washed weekly. Despite this, there are several practical solutions to have a clean and comfortable home for asthmatics. Learn how to take care of your asthmatic baby.
At least once a year, the person with asthma should consult a pneumologist to assess their respiratory capacity and adjust the dose of the medicine.
Taking an allergy test is very useful for asthmatics, as it facilitates the identification of the main precautions to take with asthmatics. After identifying allergens, your doctor may indicate the use of “asthma vaccines,” which is a treatment to desensitize the person and thus may stop having certain allergies, facilitating asthma control.
Learn more about tests to diagnose asthma
To improve breathing, it is advisable to exercise regularly. However, physical activity should only be initiated when the disease is well controlled through the use of medicines and there is an indication from the doctor.
To get started, you should choose to walk or bike because aerobic exercises improve lung function.
It is recommended to use the asthma control medicine before starting physical activity and at the end of the activity. If you feel that you lack air during exercise, reduce the intensity to see if your breathing improves or use the “asthma inhaler” and rest for 5 minutes until your breathing is controlled, then resume the activity.
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Signs of asthma improvement appear a few weeks after starting treatment and mainly include a decrease in the frequency of asthma attacks. In addition, it is also possible to evaluate the effectiveness of treatment by using a small device, called Peak Flow, which verifies the value of respiratory flow, and when it increases it is because the treatment has an effect.
Signs of worsening asthma occur when treatment is not treated properly or if exposed to allergens, such as animal dust or hair, and include characteristic symptoms of asthma attacks such as shortness of breath, wheezing, dry cough.