Asthma is a serious chronic illness that can wreak havoc in a person’s life. Whether young or old, treatment options can either help or hurt an asthma patient. Doctors and health professionals sometimes use the stepwise approach to help narrow down appropriate treatment options. While the stepwise approach has its place in treating asthma patients, there is also a need to research what recent options there are to help patients have a better quality of life with asthma. These recent options paired with a stepwise approach can better prepare the doctor or health professional in giving high quality care to his/her patient.
Asthma Treatment Options
Every case of asthma demands proper assessment of circumstances and a tailored response to treatment. The right medication for someone who is male and aged 10 with low BMI may not work for someone who is older, female, and with higher BMI. Also, severity limits what kind of treatment options can be available (Heidelbaugh, 2015). Keeping that in mind, there are two kinds of asthma medication administered. The first are long-term controllers. This type of asthma medication works over time, relaxing muscle bands and swelling in the airways. Treatment options for this type are for those not in any immediate danger related to their asthma symptoms.
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The frequency of dosing is usually once a day for those suffering from asthma symptoms twice a week (Heidelbaugh, 2015). The two types for long-term treatment are anti-inflammatory medicines and long-term controllers (Hess, MacIntyre, Galvin, & Mishoe, 2016). Potential treatment options for inhaled corticosteroids are fluticasone, budesonide, and flunisolide (Hess, MacIntyre, Galvin, & Mishoe, 2016). These drugs are more preventative and aimed to treat children. Regarding bronchodilators, they include drugs like formoterol, salmetrol, and theophylline.
For short-term and acute symptoms, inhaled short-acting beta 2 agonists can help patients. The drugs in this class are albuterol and levalbuterol. They treat asthma by helping loosen the tight muscle within a person’s airway, which allows for air to flow freely (Davis & Cladis, 2016). For those with severe asthma, corticosteroids work at relieving swelling. The hang up with this treatment option is the potential for bad side effects. One other treatment option for those whose asthma does not respond well with medication is a bronchial thermoplasty. This procedure heats the airways, reducing any excess smooth muscle (Davis & Cladis, 2016).
Several options exist to help asthma sufferers. The stepwise approach helps doctors and other medical….....