Treatment & Prognosis of Asthma

Treatment :

Asthma is a long-term disease that can't be cured. Every asthmatic child must have an asthma action plan.

Basically, there are two types of medications:

• Controller Asthma Medicines - prophylaxis
  
• Quick Relief Asthma Medicines - during asthma attack

Controller Asthma Medicines

Examples of controller or preventative asthma medicines include:

• Inhaled corticosteroids such as Aerobid, Asmanex, Azmacort, Flovent HFA, Pulmicort (available as a Turbuhaler an Respules for use with nebulizers for younger kids), and Qvar
• Advair, a combination corticosteroid and long-acting beta₂ agonist
• Leukotriene receptor antagonists, such as Singulair, Accolate, and Zyflo
• Long-acting beta₂ agonists, such as Serevent Diskus and Foradil
• Theophylline
• Other non-steroidal anti-inflammatory controller asthma medications include Intal and Tilade.
• Xolair injections for children with allergic asthma.

It is important to remember that a controller asthma medicine won't treat or stop an asthma attack.

Quick Relief Asthma Medicines

These types of asthma treatment actually provide relief when your child has asthma symptoms. They are usually given with a NEBULIZER OR A METERED DOSE INHALER. Younger children can often use an inhaler with a spacer or a spacer and mask.

Examples of quick relief asthma medicines include:

• Albuterol - Accuneb, Albuterol, Proventil, Ventolin (inhalation solution, nebules, HFA inhaler, inhaler, syrup, rotacaps)
• Levaluterol - Xopenex Soln, Xopenex HFA
• Pirbuterol - Maxair Autohaler (a breath-actuated metered dose inhaler)
• Terbutaline
• Atrovent

Oral steroids are also often used as an asthma treatment when a child has an asthma attack. Forms of oral steroids include prednisone and prednisolone (Prelone and Orapred). In general, prednisone is prescribed for older kids who can swallow pills and prednisolone, a syrup, is used for younger children who can't swallow pills yet.

Prognosis of Asthma

Although it is a chronic disease, the prognosis is usually GOOD =)

This is especially in children who only had mild attacks of asthma.

54% of cases in children will no longer carry the symptoms after a decade (10 years).

Overall, studies shown that 94% of the asthmatic adults survived the follow up period of eight years.