Asthma Treatment
Asthma can be treated in a variety of ways. Medications prescribed to asthmatics either prevent asthma attacks, called controller medications, or treat asthma attacks, called resolve medications. People who have noticed warning signs and symptoms prior to an attack are instructed to take controller medications on a regular basis. Common controller medications are corticosteroids, cromolyn and nedocromil. These medications help to reduce inflammation, thus opening the bronchial tubes to allow for greater air flow to and from the lungs. Bronchodilators help to relax the muscles around the airways, which also helps to provide unobstructed airways. Inhalers are the most common way to administer both controller and resolve asthma medications.
Asthma Inhalers
Asthma inhalers are hand-held portable devices that deliver medication directly to the lungs and bronchial tubes. When using an asthma inhaler, the medication is breathed directed into the bronchial tubes, reducing swelling and relaxing muscles within minutes. Due to the nature of asthma inhaler ingestion, the medicine travels a direct path into the airway and is not absorbed elsewhere into the body. The ease of use, immediate relief and lack of side effects make asthma inhalers the preferred way to take asthma medication.
There are two main types of asthma inhalers: metered-dose inhalers and dry powder inhalers. Metered-dose asthma inhalers use a chemical propellant to push the medicine out. Asthmatics place the inhaler a few inches from the mouth, press down on the medicine cartridge and inhale the fine mist that is expelled. The medicine mist is then held in the lungs for ten seconds and released. Dry powder asthma inhalers do not use a chemical propellant; instead, the medicine is sucked out of the chamber by inhaling in short, rapid breaths. Some asthmatics find dry powder inhalers easier to use because there is no hand-lung coordination required; they control the amount and rate of inhaled medication.
The degree of acting- and lasting-power varies from one medication to another. Some bronchodilators act immediately but are only effective for a short period of time. Other medications take a while to provide relief but last for hours. Currently, doctors and scientists are working on an asthma inhaler medicine that will be effective in preventing asthma attacks for up to twelve hours. Discussing options and personal needs with a doctor will reveal which asthma inhaler is the most effective for each individual.
HEPA Vacuum Cleaner
The invention of HEPA (high efficiency particulate air) filters has proven to be invaluable for those suffering from asthma. HEPA filters can remove 99.9 percent of allergens in the air, including dust, dust mites, dead skin, pollen, pet dander, bacteria and mold spores. HEPA filters trap particles 0.3 microns and larger. To understand how efficient HEPA filters are, compare this to the thickness of one human hair – between forty and three hundred microns. The HEPA filter’s efficiency is based on three processes – intercept, impact and diffuse. Particles are intercepted by and adhere to a patented fiber, they impact and imbed in the fiber due to the curving air flow and then they are diffused by collisions with gas molecules. Vacuum cleaners outfitted with HEPA filters utilize this three-tier process to eliminate irritating allergens and ensure no particles are released back into the air. A HEPA vacuum cleaner helps to prevent asthma attacks caused by sensitivity and reactions to microscopic allergens.