Asthma is a condition which impairs the quality 
of life for many people. In most people the symptoms 
can and should be abolished by appropriate treatment. 
You should not have to put up with a life of breathlessness 
and wheezing.
In the first of my asthma information 
sheets I  explained how the symptoms arise and how the 
various medicines work.
The aim of this one is to allow you to control your 
own symptoms as much as possible. 

How do I know my asthma is poorly controlled ? 
Symptoms vary from person to person. Some people 
become very wheezy and it is obvious there is a problem.
In others the signs may be more subtle.
		A recurrent cough
		Coughing at night
		Waking up needing to use an inhaler
		Needing to use your blue inhaler more often
		Peak flow readings start to go down
		Peak flow readings are much lower in the morning than in the 
		evening

Why might my asthma be poorly controlled ?
You might not be on a steroid inhaler and you need one.
You may be on too low a  dose of steroid inhaler.
You may be having trouble using your inhaler 
( many people find them hard to use.)
Your lungs may be being irritated by cigarette smoke, pollen,
the weather, paint fumes etc
You may have a chest infection.

Achieving control
Although some people find the occasional puff of 
Ventolin is all they need many people with asthma
 need to take a steroid inhaler. This is the mainstay
of asthma treatment. Most asthmatics can have all their 
symptoms banished with the right dose ( for them ) of
 their steroid. 2 puffs twice daily of Beclomethasone 100 
( Becotide 100) is a typical adult dose. 
Once control has been gained symptoms sometimes return.
 The way to regain control is to increase the dose of the
steroid inhaler or to take steroid tablets. For many people
 all that is needed is to double the dose of steroid inhaler 
during the week or two they are feeling unwell. Some 
need higher doses or steroid tablets.There are some 
who deteriorate quickly and should call a doctor. For this 
reason you should talk with your doctor about the best way
for you to treat your asthma. 

Aren't steroids harmful ?
With the low doses usually used in treating asthma there
are no side effects. People with very bad asthma who
need high doses of a steroid inhaler or frequent courses
of prednisolone tablets can develop problems. This is most 
likely to be seen as thinning of the skin and bruising easily.
If you are worried discuss this with your doctor. 
What other options are there ?
Other drugs can be used in asthma treatment. They are
usually prescribed in addition to the drugs entioned above.
They are often used to help reduce the dose of steroid needed. 

	a) Salmeterol (Serevent), bambuterol (Bambec) and eformoterol (Foradil) are
	long acting versions of salbutamol type drugs. 
	b) Singulair and Accolate are new tablets for mild to moderate asthma.
	c) Theophyllines eg Phyllocontin, Uniphyllin, Theodur, Uniphyllin.
	These are given as tablets.
	d) Ipratropium and oxitropium 
	These tend to be used in older people with chronic bronchitis rather
	 then in younger asthmatics


Why use 2 different inhalers for asthma ?

Patient information

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