Asthma is a disease of chronic inflammation of the lungs. The muscles surrounding the airways become inflamed as a result of different triggers, like colds and allergies, causing airway narrowing and production of cellular debris in the lumen of the airway, further causing obstruction to the flow of oxygen. The symptoms of asthma and the medications to treat it relate to these pathological changes within the lung tissue.
Symptoms of Asthma
Wheezing is the most common symptom of asthma. It is a high-pitched noise made on expiration, and it is caused by air flowing through narrowed airways.
Other symptoms related to airway constriction include coughing and rapid breathing. Retractions (the pulling in of abdominal and chest muscles as the body tries to suck in more air) and nasal flaring are signs of respiratory distress. Patients report feeling short of breath. If enough oxygen is not reaching the lungs, patients can become cyanotic, with a bluish tinge around the lips, signifying lack of oxygen to the tissues. If the disease progresses untreated, patients can become tired from the extra energy expended trying to breathe, and can go into respiratory failure.
Medications for acute exacerbations of asthma
Oxygen is an important adjunct for patients during an asthma attack. Medications for the treatment of an asthma exacerbation include bronchodilators, like albuterol, which help open up the airways. Other medicines include steroids, to reduce the inflammation surrounding the airway; atrovent, to improve the responsiveness of the smooth muscle that controls the diameter of the airway; and magnesium, to relax those muscles. The goal is to open up the airways, improving ventilation and oxygen exchange for the body.
Chronic treatment of asthma
The best treatment for asthma is prevention. Avoidance of allergens like dust and cigarette smoke are particularly important. Immunization against bacteria that cause pneumonia and against the influenza virus can decrease the chances of patients catching those illnesses, which can trigger an asthma attack.
Medicines used for the chronic prevention of asthma include inhaled steroids, like beclomethasone, which maintain inflammation under control; and medicines that modulate the body's reaction to allergens, like montelukast. Other medicines include nasal steroids, to decrease the inflammation in the nasal mucosa caused by allergies.
