Types of Asthma Medications

July 18, 2019

Asthma is a serious breathing disease that can be really dangerous for the patient if not treated with the correct medication. There are several types of drugs used to treat asthma. Below you will get detailed knowledge about all those types of medications.

Type of drugs available for asthma patients:

Long-term medications for controlling asthma

This is a common method followed in case of maximum asthma patients. They prescribe a certain dose of a medicine that has to be consumed every day, even if there are no evident symptoms of asthma. The following medicines are included in this type of medication:

Inhaled Corticosteroids - This includes Fluticasone (Flovent HFA), Budesonide (Pulmicort Flexhaler), Mometasone (Asmanex Twisthaler), Beclomethasone (Qvar RediHaler), and Ciclesonide (Alvesco). These medicines are highly effective and do not involve any serious side-effect

Leukotriene modifiers - Montelukast (Singulair), Zafirlukast (Accolate), and Zileuton (Zyflo) are the drugs prescribed here

Long-acting beta-agonists (LABAs)- this type of drugs are helpful in dilating the air passage and reducing swelling

Theophylline - it can work wonders for patients having asthma attacks at night

Medicines for immediate actions

This type of drugs start acting with immediate effect by broadening the air passage. These drugs can bear the side effects of anxiety and palpitations. For a minor attack, Albuterol (ProAir HFA, Ventolin HFA, etc) and Levalbuterol (Xopenex HFA) can be the perfect fit.

Ipratropium (Atrovent HFA) is another drug that can be used to get quick relief in case of asthma attacks. There are also oral corticosteroids that can heal serious asthma attacks quite fast. Prednisone and Methylprednisolone are two common examples of this type of medication.

Relievers for asthma induced by several allergies

There are several categories of allergies that lead to severe asthma problems in patients. The following medicines can act as a complete reliever in case of allergy-induced asthma.

Allergy shots - immunotherapy is the other name used for allergy shots. This can be the best option if the patient is not getting cured even after keeping a distance from the allergy triggers. Here at first, the patient’s skin is tested to identify the allergens and then small doses of those allergens are injected back. This helps the patient to develop immunity against the allergens.

Allergy medications - in this process, oral and nasal sprays are given to the patient that includes antihistamines, decongestants, and corticosteroid. These sprays reduce inflammation and gives relief against allergies.

Biologics

This type of medication is prescribed for those patients who have serious asthma problems that cannot be treated by medicines. Omalizumab (Xolair) is a common medicine used in this category. It can brilliantly ease out the symptoms of asthma caused by airborne allergens like pollen grains from flowers, dust mites, and germs from pets’ bodies.

It is very important that the exact reasons that trigger your asthma be identified and treated with the correct medication. This will prevent the escalation of the disease and help you manage it. You should not miss out on any dose of medication prescribed by the doctor.