How is severe asthma treated?
Asthma is one of the respiratory disorders of the lungs and has a periodic aggravation. Very quick acting medicines are needed to control these episodes and provide relief to the patient. These are called rescue medication. This group contains quick, short acting bronchodilators called short-term beta agonists. Another group of medicines used for asthma treatments give relief within minutes. These are is normally used to treat acute emphysema but has been found to be useful to control severe symptoms of asthma like tightness in chest, wheezing, cough etc.
Oral and intravenous medications are used for short spells and they have side effects on long, continuous use.
Great improvements have taken place in the field of inhaler technology. On pressing the piston of the inhaler, gas is released which carries a fixed amount of medicine to the patient through the mouthpiece. The efficiency of the device depends on the coordinated inspiration by the patient which many found difficult. The current model has a spindle shaped storage in between the cylinder and the mouth piece. The mouthpiece/mask has a valve which opens and closes in sync with breathing. Once a measured quantity of medicine is released into the reservoir, the patient breaths as usual till all the medicine is taken in. When a large amount of medicine is to be inhaled, a nebulizer is used where a liquid bronchodilator is converted into a mist and the patient breaths the mist till the dose is breathed in completely. This is ideal for patients with feeble breathing and in cases where large amount of medicine is required. Inhalers with spacerare fast catching up.