Stepwise Approach to Asthma

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Asthma Management

Asthma is a scare and terrible affliction that affects a lot of people to varying degrees. However, long-term control options do exist and they are executed in an orderly fashion by doctors and other medical professionals in coordination with their patients. Indeed, there is what is known as a "stepwise" approach to asthma management. This report shall discuss that and it will also discuss how the stepwise management assists healthcare providers and patients in maintaining control of the disease. While asthma is not an enjoyable thing to live with and deal with, it is entirely controllable but this control should be exerted in the proper fashion.

As explained and described by the National Institute of Health website, asthma is an incurable disease that must be properly managed and treated over time. Controlling asthma in the right manner includes preventing chronic and troublesome symptoms, reducing the need for quick-relief medicines, maintaining good lung function, maintaining normal activity level and sleep through the night and the overall prevention of asthma attacks that could result in an emergency room visit or hospital stay. Very basic "treatments" include general prevention tactics such as working with the doctor proactively rather than reactively, avoiding situations or substances that can lead to asthma attacks and establishing an overall action plan for dealing with one's asthma (NIH, 2015)

The most prevalent long-term control medicine used for asthma are inhaled corticosteroids.
The reason for using these inhaled steroids is to reduce inflammation and thus head off a domino effect of other asthma symptoms. Other long-term drugs that can be taken include Cromolyn, which is taken through a nebulizer. There is also Omailzumab, which is given as an injection. Other drugs that can be used include inhaled long-acting beta 2 agonists, leukotriene modifiers and theophylline. Inhaled short-acting beta 2 agonists are often the first choice for quick relief when a flare-up occurs. It is also important to track one's symptoms over time and use a peak flow meter. The latter shows how well air is moving in and out of one's lungs (WebMD, 2015).

As indicated in the introduction, there is an order to things when it comes to treating asthma. Indeed, throwing all of the medicines and treatments at asthma is less than wise. Instead, there is a focus on giving the minimal amount of treatment required to get the required amount of relief and respite from….....

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"Stepwise Approach To Asthma", 26 September 2015, Accessed.15 May. 2024,
https://www.aceyourpaper.com/essays/stepwise-approach-asthma-2154642