Asthma - Prevention of Asthma Treatment, Medications
Asthma occurs when the airways in your lungs (bronchial tubes) become inflamed and constricted. The muscles of the bronchial walls tighten, and your airways produce extra mucus that blocks your airways. Signs and symptoms of asthma range from minor wheezing to life-threatening asthma attacks.
Prevention
Working together, you and your doctor can design a step-by-step plan for living with your condition and preventing asthma attacks.
1 Develop a written asthma plan. With your doctor and health care team, write a detailed plan for taking maintenance medications and managing an acute attack. Then be sure to follow your plan. Asthma is an ongoing condition that needs regular monitoring and treatment. Taking control of your treatment can make you feel more in control of your life in general.
2 Identify and avoid asthma triggers. A number of outdoor allergens and irritants — ranging from pollen and mold to cold air and air pollution — can trigger asthma attacks. Find out what causes or worsens your asthma, and take steps to avoid those triggers.
Prevention of Asthma Treatment
Periodic assessments and ongoing monitoring of asthma are essential to determine if therapy is adequate. Patients need to understand how to use a peak flow meter and understand the symptoms and signs of an asthma exacerbation.
Regular follow-up visits (at least every six months) are important to maintain asthma control and to reassess medication requirements.
Patients with persistent asthma should be given an annual influenza vaccine.
Medications used to prevent Asthma:
# Cromolyn - mainly used for asthma caused by allergy
# Cromolyn Sodium - mainly used for asthma caused by allergy
# Sodium Cromoglycate - mainly used for asthma caused by allergy
# Children’s Nasalcrom - mainly used for asthma caused by allergy
# Crolom - mainly used for asthma caused by allergy
# Fisoneb - mainly used for asthma caused by allergy
# Gastrocrom - mainly used for asthma caused by allergy
Prevalence and incidence statistics for Asthma:
Prevalance of Asthma: 6.4% USA (NIAID); 17 million Americans (NIAID) including 5 million children; 8.1 million children (NHIS-97), 51 per 1000 - NHIS95; 14.5 million; 5% of population (NWHIC); 14.9 million in 1995 (NHLBI)
Prevalance Rate: approx 1 in 15 or 6.40% or 17.4 million people in USA [about data]
Prevalance of Asthma: Asthma affects more than 5% of the population of the US, including children. (Source: Genes and Disease by the National Center for Biotechnology) … Asthma affects an estimated 17 million Americans or 6.4 percent of the U.S. population. Children account for 4.8 million of the nation’s asthma sufferers. (Source: excerpt from Asthma A Concern for Minority Populations, NIAID Fact Sheet: NIAID) … Approximately 5% of the population have asthma, but the basic cause of asthma is not yet understood. (Source: excerpt from ASTHMA: NWHIC)
