If your asthma has been acting up lately and you find yourself needing your inhaler more frequently, you may want to talk to your doctor about trying steroids or one of the other types of control medications available that can help keep your symptoms at bay.
A Range of Options Exist
Today, a host of asthma treatment options exist and many of them can be highly effective in controlling your symptoms on a long-term basis. Some are taken orally in pill form, while others are delivered by an inhaler, which allows them to go directly to work in the quickest way with minimal side effects. Most control medications, no matter how they are taken, need to be repeated on a regular basis in order for them to do the trick.
A Range of Options
If your doctor thinks you might benefit from starting some long-term treatment to help manage your asthma, there are several approaches he or she may recommend that can make a difference. These include:
- Steroids or Corticosteroids
- Mast-Cell Stabilizers
- Leukotriene Modifiers
- Immunoglobulin E (IgE) Blockers
The Benefits of Steroids
Steroids can be inhaled or taken in oral form to reduce swelling in your airways and minimize mucus production. This will help your lungs be less sensitive to asthma triggers. While the name “steroids” might conjure up images of bodybuilders and raise questions about the risks involved, in fact when used by asthma patients, steroids are usually taken in very low doses and the risk of side effects is slim.
Inhaled Steroids: Inhaled steroids are usually taken once a day. It is important to note that unlike rescue inhalers, they do not provide immediate relief for your symptoms. This medication typically needs to be taken for a few weeks to get the full benefits.
A few of the most popular forms of inhaled steroids include:
- Advair
- Axmacort
- Flovent
- Pulmicort
Oral Steroids: Oral steroids are those taken in pill form so they get into your bloodstream, rather than just in your lungs. This can be a good choice if you have serious asthma that is difficult to control. Unlike inhaled steroids, which take a while to build up in your lungs, the oral form goes to work quickly. Typically, you will get the full benefit in about six hours. Sometimes, your doctor may prescribe a high dose of oral steroids for a few days, and then taper it down to a low dose every day or every other day.
Some types of oral steroids include:
- Methylprednisolone
- Prednisone
- Prednisolone
While most patients don’t experience side effects of short-term steroid use, if you need to take them for months or years, you run the risk of experiencing acne, weight gain and mood swings.
Other Long-Term Asthma Treatments
If steroids aren’t the best choice for you, there are a few other effective long-term options you might want to consider.
Leukotriene Modifiers: These are pills that you take daily (dosing varies depending on the brand) and they work by blocking the production of a chemical called Leukotrienes, which can cause asthma symptoms. Some common types of this medication include: Accolate, Singulair and Zyflo.
Mast-Cell Stabilizers: These are inhaled asthma medications that work by heading off a substance called mast cells that your body produces, which can cause asthma symptoms. Types of mast cell stabilizers include Intal and Tilate. These are generally taken two to four times a day and need to be taken for up to a month before they take full effect.
Immunoglobulin E (IgE) Blockers: This medication, which is called Xolair and is given in the form of injection, blocks off an antibody called IgE to prevent it from causing an asthma attack. This can be particularly effective for people with more serious asthma conditions that don’t respond to steroids.
The Right Choice for You?
You may wonder when the time is right to try some of the long-term treatment options. If you find yourself experiencing coughing, wheezing, chest tightness, more frequent asthma attack or trouble completing your daily activities, it may be time to talk to your doctor and find out the best course of treatment to try for your situation.
