home > Questions and Answers on Asthma > Medicines and Triggers Control 

Q&A: Medicines and Triggers Control

Triggers Control

Avoidance Measures

The correct control of Asthma Triggers is an essential part in asthma management (obviously, the first step is to know what triggers the child has got).
Triggers control is really an asthma treatment because it helps to reduce contact with things that produce asthma inflammation and airways narrowing. In fact, the only use of medicines for asthma, without putting into practice these control measures is a wrong strategy, and it drives to a bad asthma control.
In conclussion, the best way for a correct control of asthma is to develop strategies for triggers control and combine it with asthma medicines (when these are necessary).
The most important measures for triggers control are:

• No smoking at home see our section about it
• In case of dust mite allergy: wet cleaning, hermetic cover for pillows and mattress
• In case of pollen allergy: be careful during pollen season (usually in spring and the beginning of summer), use pollen filter in the car. Travel always with car windows closed
• In case of cockcroaches: Ask for an expert in cock extermination
• In case of pet allergy: Put the pet away. Never allow it in the child bedroom. Wash pet every week.
• In case of asthma induced by exercise: see our section about it

Immunotherapy 

This therapy tries to reduce the sensitivity degree with often injections containing allergen extracts. Immunotherapy is always involved in controversy related to its outcomes and its adverse effects. 
The main recommendation is: immunotherapy must be prescribed by an specialist in allergy.

Asthma Medicines

Asthma medication is divided into two general classes

Antiinflammatory medicines. Long-term control medications. Therapy to suppress the inflammation. Antiinflammatory therapy must be used for a long time. Bronchi Inflammation cannot cause symptoms. Anyway, we need to use these medications for a long time to suppress airways inflammation.
There are three types of antiinflammatory medications:

• inhaled glucocorticosteroids, a
• ntileukotrienes (like montelukast oral) and
• inhaled cromones.

Quick-relief medications. Used to provide prompt relief of bronchoconstriction and acute symptoms such as cough and wheezing. The most important type of medications are the short-acting beta2-agonists, and the best way to take this medicines is inhaled.
These medicines open airways in a few minutes. But bronchi remain inflamed and you need to continue with Long-term-control medications.

Asthma treatment, and overview