Asthma is kind of an allergy, it causes breathing problem because of allergens. The most common form of asthma allergy treatment involves inhalers. The basic function of the inhaler is to break the medicine in the tube and then push the medication directly in the wind pipe so it reaches the lungs. In this article, we will discuss the effects of asthma treatment. Like all other allergy treatments, there are some medicines that are administered for instant relief, whereas others are administered to increase tolerance of the allergen.
Short term Relief
An asthma attack would be characterized by shortness of breath and coughing. This could be directly related to the swelling in the wind pipe and the irregular breathing. So in the short term, the medicines are most commonly administered through inhalers. These inhalers help in directly injecting the dose in the windpipe. Medicines are mostly aimed at reducing the swelling and relaxing windpipes. Relaxation of the windpipe provides more air to reach the lungs inducing normal breathing. That is one of the reasons why allergist always recommends asthma patients to carry inhalers with them all the time. Asthma attacks could be life threatening and medication should be taken as per prescription.
Long term relief
Long term treatments would include taking medication as per prescription irrespective of asthma attacks. These medications increase body’s tolerance towards the allergen. Over the period of time, the aim of the medication is to reduce the severity of the asthma attack. The dosage depends on the allergen and the severity of the allergy. A major side effect of long term medication could be weakening of bones. This is not a common problem and has been documented in some cases. Doctors do recommend taking vitamins and eating healthy to avoid such problems. Some patients, over the period of time, have complained of infection in the mouth. This could be result of a salt that reacts with the body. In this instance, a different medicine would be administered that does not include that particular salt.
Like any allergy treatment, the medicine used for asthma treatment is usually dependent on the allergen. So it is very necessary to know what triggers the reaction. This is mostly while prescribing long term medication. For short term, usually the medication is standard that would perform the same function irrespective of the allergen. Asthma patients should not take any medications over the counter without first consulting an allergist or asthma doctor.