Treatment for moderate and severe asthma
Treatment therapy for moderate and severe asthma generally involves a daily maintenance inhaler. Keren Bakal, MD, discusses the different types of inhalers and shares other ways you can treat and manage your asthma symptoms.
Transcript
The treatment therapies for moderate and severe asthma involve a daily maintenance inhaler.
[MUSIC PLAYING] And the way that works is by calming down
the inflammation in the airways that occurs with asthma. For moderate and severe asthmatics, they oftentimes need a combination inhaler.
That inhaler contains an inhaled steroid, and it also contains a second medication which works by opening up or dilating the airways that
can constrict with asthma. And those inhalers are longer-acting. [MUSIC PLAYING]
Some are only once a day. Some are twice a day. Some are dry-powder inhalers. Some are the puffer type of inhalers.
So they all sort of vary, but that's the general treatment for both moderate and severe asthmatics.
[MUSIC PLAYING] First, you want to figure out what the triggers are for your asthma.
In some patients, allergens will trigger asthma. So, for example, allergies to dust mites, cats,
dogs, you want to try to control the allergen exposure, because that's going to trigger the asthma.
And then, you know, if the allergies are very severe, you may want to seek more help with an allergist in terms of figuring out what therapies they could offer.
In terms of managing symptoms, again, it's going to be managing the triggers. It's going to be making sure you have your rescue
inhaler wherever you go. You're going to carry that around. In terms of preventing-- trying to prevent exacerbations,
you know, we recommend everybody who has asthma-- and, actually, most people anyway-- to get a flu shot, because influenza can be dangerous in people
who have asthma. Making sure your vaccines are up to date is very important as well.
asthma
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