Asthma Guide for Teens: Treatment

Asthma Guide for Teens:
Treatment

What is Asthma? Treatment

Common Symptoms When to Get Help

Causes and Triggers Asthma Action Plan

Dealing with Triggers Living with Asthma

Exercise Induced Asthma Resources

Getting Diagnosed

How is asthma treated?

Asthma is treated by: keeping track of how well your lungs are working (your health care provider will listen to your lungs), taking medications as directed, avoiding things that make it worse (triggers), controlling things in your environment, and learning how to manage it. Although there is currently no cure for asthma, it can be controlled extremely well.

An important part of asthma care is what you do to help manage it. Controlled asthma means you have very few or no symptoms and are able to do what you want to do.

Tips to control your asthma symptoms:

See your health care provider regularly and talk about any concerns you might have
Take medications as prescribed by your health care provider
Use a “peak flow meter” if you have one
Keep a “symptom diary” that describes time, date, severity (how bad you feel) and exposure activity (what were you doing when the symptoms got worse)
Know your asthma “triggers” and try to avoid or eliminate them
Pay attention to your asthma so you know when it is getting worse and when to get help
Rest if your asthma is bothering you – sometimes this is enough to keep it from getting worse
Don’t smoke- or quit if you do
Learn as much as you can about asthma because the more you know, the better you can help care for yourself and feel good most of the time

You may have times when you don’t take care of your asthma as you usually do, such as forgetting to take your medicine or not remembering what triggers your asthma. Sometimes no matter what you do, your asthma may bother you when you least expect it to and you’ll need to take a fast-acting, quick-relief asthma medicine called Albuterol (that open up your airways so you can breathe easier). If your Albuterol doesn’t make you feel better within 20 minutes, you should call your health care provider.

What kinds of medicines are used to treat asthma?

Some people need to take one or more types of medication daily for their asthma and others may not need to take any except when their asthma is bothersome. Your health care provider will decide what medications you need to take.

The two main components of asthma are brocho-constriction – tightening of the muscles around your airways, and inflammation or swelling inside your airways.

Albuterol – also known as your “rescue” or “quick reliever” medicine will relax the muscles around your airways. There are 3 brands of Albuterol – ProAir®, Proventil®, and Ventolin®. They all have the same ingredients and work the same way.
Controller medications are medicines that you need to take every day to decrease the swelling in your airways. Controller medications can be inhalers such as Flovent®, Pulmicort®, Asmanex®, QVAR®, Advair®, or Symbicort® or perhaps a pill such as Singulair. Your health care provider will teach you how and when to use your medicine.

Next: When to Get Help

Written by the Center for Young Women's Health Staff

Updated: 9/4/2009

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What is Asthma?	Treatment
Common Symptoms	When to Get Help
Causes and Triggers	Asthma Action Plan
Dealing with Triggers	Living with Asthma
Exercise Induced Asthma	Resources
Getting Diagnosed