The purpose of asthma treatment is to prevent symptoms and to effectively control long-term asthma attacks. Treatment starts with educating the patient or the patient’s parents if the patient is young, about the symptoms of asthma and those things that may trigger an asthma attack. Treatment may include oral medications, inhalers and avoidance of what triggers the asthma attacks. Triggers vary from patient to patient.
If you recognize what triggers your symptoms of asthma you can avoid those triggers or minimize your exposure to them which will then lessen or eliminate your asthma attacks. Many things trigger asthma including irritants, allergens, respiratory infections, exercise and weather. One irritant trigger is dust. If a person’s asthma is triggered by dust they should have someone else dust the house and be sure to take measures to minimize dust especially in the bedroom.
Treatments for asthma include long-term control medications, inhaled corticosteroids, and rescue inhalers. There are many things that determine what medications will be right for your asthma symptoms including the age of the patient, the particular triggers that cause the asthma and your history of prior treatment and the success you had using those treatments.
There are various medications used to treat asthma. Rescue or quick-relief inhalers are used to quickly open airways during an asthma attack. Rescue inhalers may include one of the following medications:
Short-acting beta agonists such as Albuterol, Levalbuterol or Pirbuterol.
Ipratropium, which is a bronchodilator.
Oral and intravenous corticosteroids, which decrease inflammation in the airway.
If allergens are determined to cause asthma you will be prescribed allergy medications. Inhaled corticosteroids are medications that take several days to weeks to reach the full benefit level but have long-term success with low risk of side effects and are safe for patients to use over long periods of time. Oral medications such as leukotriene modifiers are used to prevent asthma symptoms for up to 24 hours after they are taken. Theophylline is a daily pill that is used to help keep airways open and relax the muscles around the airways so breathing is easier. This was a commonly used medication years ago but not used as much nowadays.
If allergies are determined to be a trigger for asthma it is important to take measure to control allergic reactions. Immunotherapy or allergy shots have been used successfully to reduce the allergic reaction experienced by exposure to certain allergens. A person will be tested to discover what the allergens are and then be given an allergy shot schedule; usually once a week for a few months, and then once a month for a period of one to five years depending on how severe the allergy has been determined to be.
Allergy medications can be oral or nasal spray and are usually a combination of antihistamines and decongestants. Corticosteroid, Cromolyn and Ipratropium nasal sprays are commonly used to control allergy symptoms.
Your doctor will discuss various treatment plans with you and your input will be important when deciding what treatment plan is best for you. Your treatment plan may change during the year especially if you have seasonal allergies, have asthma that is triggered by cold weather or participate in sports only part of the year.
Treatment typically is a combination of avoidance, lifestyle changes, medications and patient education about asthma. The treatment plan should be in writing with a way to measure success. Your doctor will want to have follow-up appointments in order to access how well your asthma is being controlled and to adjust your treatment plan to be sure that your asthma is well controlled.
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Learn to control your asthma. 
Asthma is one of the most common lifelong chronic diseases. There are almost 26 million Americans living with asthma. The disease affects the lungs, causing repeated episodes of wheezing, breathlessness, chest tightness, and coughing. Although asthma cannot be cured, it is possible to manage asthma successfully to reduce and prevent asthma attacks, also called episodes. Successful asthma management includes knowing the warning signs of an attack, avoiding things that may trigger an attack, and following the advice of your healthcare provider. Using what you know about managing your asthma can give you control over this chronic disease. When you control your asthma, you will breathe better, be as active as you would like, sleep well, stay out of the hospital, and be free from coughing and wheezing. To learn more about how you can control your asthma, visit 
Asthma affects people of all ages and backgrounds. In most cases, we don’t know what causes asthma, and we don’t know how to cure it. Certain factors may make it more likely for one person to have asthma than another. If someone in your family has asthma, you are more likely to have it. Regular physical exams that include checking your lung function and checking for allergies can help your healthcare provider make the right diagnosis. With your healthcare provider’s help, you can make your own asthma management plan so that you know what to do based on your own symptoms. Use your asthma medicine as prescribed and be aware of common triggers in the environment known to bring on asthma symptoms, including smoke (including second-hand and third-hand cigarette smoke), household pets, dust mites, and pollen. Limit or avoid exposure to these and other triggers whenever possible. The important thing to remember is that you can control your asthma. 
