Asthma Medications
Michael, Morris J. “Asthma Treatment and Management.” Drugs & Diseases (2017): 1-20.
Many effective medicines treat asthma. People with asthma require two types of medicine; long-term control medicines and quick-relief medicines. Immunotherapy shots also help in asthma treatment.
Some patients are reluctant to take asthma medication due to potential side effects or even the cost associated with the medication. According to the article “Asthma Treatment,” people with such concerns should consult their allergist. Allergists advise and guide patients in determining the right medicine or the right medicine combination in order to effectively manage asthma and adjust their dosage based on symptoms and control.
Quick-relief medicines are administered immediately signs of asthma are evident to a patient for immediate relief and comprise of anticholinergics and short-acting inhaled beta2-agonists. These medicines are bronchodilators and are inhaled to expand the passageways into bronchi to allow inhalation and exhalation. Also, these drugs help in clearing mucus from lungs to enable the mucus to move freely and coughed out easily.
According to the article, allergists should recommend asthmatic people with exercise-induced bronchoconstriction to utilize these medicines before taking the exercise or any other tiresome physical activity. Quick-relief medicines help cease asthma symptoms but are unable to control airway inflammation that gives rise to these symptoms.
Long-term control medicines are consumed every day to prevent its symptoms and attacks. These medicines include immunomodulators, methylxanthines, cromolyn sodium, antileukotrienes, oral corticosteroids, and long-acting inhaled beta2-agonists. The effectiveness of these medicines lower airway inflammation as well as improving asthma control. However, the author notes that long-term control medicines are powerful and may turn dangerous if not taken as prescribed. Medical research shows that when steroid drugs are taken as prescribed, they are the most effective in treating asthma.
Student Investigation of the Needs and Resources of Asthmatic Medication Personal Geographic Community
In this assignment, the geographic community of interest is an academic institution where students with asthma problems need to be taken care of. A healthy learning environment for all students that entail reducing asthma triggers through a comprehensive asthma management and indoor air quality has to be implemented. North East Independent School District (NEISD) is a big urban school in San Antonio, Texas with 66,770 students in which over 8,000 students are asthmatic; this forms 12 percent of the student population. The school has one registered therapist certified as an asthma expert who helps the asthmatic students in managing the disease effectively.
Asthma is triggered by stress, medications, irritants, allergens, and exercise. In the community we live in, one of the factors that trigger asthma attacks are allergies such as dust mites, molds, and pollen. Not all asthmatic people have allergies; other allergic people are not asthmatic either. Some consistent health difficulties trigger asthma symptoms and can even make them worse. Such health problems include stress, obesity, depression, acid reflux, and obstructive sleep apnea. Medical researchers recommend that people should allow their allergist diagnose whether they have these conditions in order to come up with the right approaches to controlling the health problem as well as the asthmatic symptoms. Asthma needs to be prevented from being an epidemic in the society. Colds and sinus infections also need to be controlled for they worsen asthma.
Asthma treatment is a priority for schools and is addressed through the creation of a comprehensive asthma management plan and the establishment of an environmental assessment plan by the therapist. Asthmatic students perform poorly when compared to non-asthmatic students. Based on NEISD, there are high rates of absenteeism to asthmatic students amounting to 50 percent of the students will the health problem. Proper asthma management requires students to stay free of troublesome symptoms day and night with:
- No wheezing and coughing
- No breathing difficulties
- No night awakening due to asthma
NEISD allergist ensures that the lungs of asthmatic students perform in the best way in that they are able to participate fully in co-curricular activities of their choice. No student should miss school due to asthma complications for the allergist is mandated to ensure that they use medications to control asthma. With this, all asthmatic students feel satisfied with the institution’s asthma care.
The allergists seek to establish an understanding of the prevalence and assess needs in order to improve healthy living in the entire district. Asthma education to families and the community at large helps in bringing healthcare to NEISD families, raising asthma awareness, control systems, attendance, as well as students’ performance.
To conclude, effective treatment of asthma entails the identification and avoidance of allergens that trigger its symptoms, consumption of medicinal therapies and establishing an emergency action plan for its severe attacks. The use of peak-flow meter is also used in monitoring allergic asthmatic levels in the body. The ability of students to stay free of asthma is directly contingent on the air they inhale. The creation of asthma friendly environment is thus required to reduce the irritant triggers of asthma symptoms. However, if still, the inflow of air is still low, allergists recommend changes in one’s treatment plan such as environmental and behavioral changes or taking a different medication.
References
Diane, Rhodes. NEISD Asthma Awareness Education Program. BBA, RRT, AE-C, RCP. San Antonio, Texas: North East Independent School District, 2006. Retrieved from: http://e3alliance.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/10/AsthmaAcademicPotential-Presentation_10.16.17.pdf
Michael, Morris J. “Asthma Treatment and Management.” Drugs & Diseases (2017): 1-20. https://acaai.org/asthma/asthma-treatment