TESTS & TREATMENT

Test
* Spirometry—The most accurate breathing test for asthma where an instrument called a spirometer is used.
Doctors use spirometry to:
* help spot if a patient has asthma
* help work out how serious the asthma is
* see if the asthma is getting worse
* see if the asthma is getting better with treatment
Spirometry perfectly measures and documents the quantity of air inhaled and exhaled out of the lungs. The results illustrate how constricted the airways in the lungs are. Spirometry also helps the doctor to choose what drugs to recommend to the patient or whether the amount of the present medication needs to be increased or decreased.
* Peak flow meter—This provides an image of how narrow the airways are by computing the highest (or peak) rate at which one can blow air into it. Peak flow aids one to see how much one’s airways are changing.
If a patient has asthma medications every day, the doctor may advise him/her to use a peak flow meter to assist in checking one’s asthma at home. Normally children over the age of seven are adept at learning how to use a peak flow meter properly. Peak flow measurement is most often employed to help one identify:
* when the asthma is getting worse
* when one may need to increase medication
Treatment
Most people use a mixture of long-term control medicines and fast relief medications. A doctor must be consulted to decide which option is best for the patient based on age and the seriousness of symptoms. In general, the major types of asthma medications are:
* Long-term-control medications—These are taken daily on a long-term basis to manage chronic symptoms and foil asthma attacks.
1. Inhaled corticosteroids—anti-inflammatory drugs that stop blood vessels from leaking fluid into the airway tissues.
2. Long-acting beta-2 agonists (LABAs)—part of a set of medications called bronchodilators, which open up tight airways. Salmeterol (Serevent Diskus) and formoterol (Foradil), which last at least 12 hours, are used to control average and serious asthma and to stop nighttime symptoms.
3. Leukotriene modifiers—lessen the production or obstruct the action of leukotrienes--substances discharged by cells in the lungs during an asthma attack
4. Cromolyn and nedocromil—though not helpful for everyone, everyday use of nedocromil (Tilade) or inhaled cromolyn (Intal) may help put off attacks of mild to moderate asthma as well as asthma prompted by exercise.
5. Theophylline—a bronchodilator in pill form to be taken every day. It relieves nighttime symptoms of asthma.
* Quick-relief medications—Short-acting bronchodilators, which are often, called "rescue" or "quick-relief" drugs to stop the symptoms of an asthma attack in progress.
1. Short-acting beta-2 agonists—bronchodilators which begin acting within minutes and last 4-6 hours.
2. Ipratropium (Atrovent).
3. Oral and intravenous corticosteroids for asthma attacks—Prednisone, methylprednisolone, hydrocortisone and others may be taken to deal with acute asthma attacks or very serious asthma.