7 Drug Choices to Relieve Asthma Allergy Symptoms
Asthma due to allergies should not be underestimated because the symptoms certainly hamper your daily activities. This condition can also trigger severe asthma attacks even if you have never had a history of asthma before. Therefore, it is important to know what medicines can be used to treat allergic asthma.
List of common allergic asthma medications
Asthma treatment due to allergies is usually a combination of asthma and allergic medicines. Some of these drug choices can be purchased freely, and some need to use a prescription.
But before deciding to take any medication, you should still consult your doctor first to make sure it is suitable and whether or not safe for your condition.
The following are various drugs that can be used to treat allergic asthma.
1. Bronchodilators work fast
A bronchodilator is a treatment that aims to increase the lung's capacity to absorb oxygen so that you can breathe more smoothly and with relief.
This drug can relieve asthma symptoms quickly when relapses due to allergies. The effect of this drug can last around 4-6 hours.
Types of allergic asthma drugs that are classified as fast-acting bronchodilators are albuterol (Proair, Proventil, Ventolin), levalbuterol (Xopenex), and pirbuterol (Maxair).
2. Corticosteroids life
Inhaled corticosteroids are used to reduce the frequency of asthma recurrence, so you need to use it every day. That way, you can breathe more freely and comfortably. To get the benefits of this medicine, you have to take it in through an inhaler or nebulizer.
Allergy asthma medications that include long-term inhaled corticosteroids include luticasone, budesonide, flunisolide, ciclesonide, beclomethasone, mometasone, and fluticasone furoate.
3. Oral corticosteroids
If allergic asthma symptoms do not work with inhaled medications, taking corticosteroid medications may be the solution for you.
Corticosteroid drugs work quickly to reduce inflammation in the airways, so they can help relieve severe asthma attacks.
Make sure you take this medicine according to doctor's orders. Both in terms of the dose, how many times it should be taken in a day, until how long this drug must be used. Because of the long-term use of corticosteroids that actually do not need to increase the risk of dangerous side effects.
4. Leukotriene modifiers
Leukotriene modifiers can help relieve symptoms of allergies and asthma. This allergic asthma medication works against leukotrienes, substances released by white blood cells in the lungs that cause airway constriction.
Some of the most common types of leukotriene modifiers include montelukast (Singulair), zafirlukast (Accolate), and zileuton (Zyflo).
This drug must be obtained by prescription and taken under the strict supervision of a doctor. Because these allergic asthma medications can increase the risk of psychological side effects, in the form of hallucinations and excessive anxiety. In serious cases, this drug can also affect the mind of the sufferer to commit suicide.
Consult a doctor immediately if you feel an unusual or disturbing reaction.
5. Antihistamine drugs
Allergic asthma can also be relieved by taking antihistamine drugs. This drug is effective for relieving allergy symptoms such as itching, coughing, sneezing, and nasal congestion.
Antihistamine drugs are divided into two types, namely the first generation and second generation. Compared to second-generation drugs, first-generation drugs generally have to be taken repeatedly, its properties are less durable, and have the potential for more side effects.
Diphenhydramine and chlorpheniramine are examples of first-generation antihistamine drugs. While the second most common antihistamine drugs are cetrizine, loratadine, and ferofexadine.
Both first and second-generation antihistamine drugs must be taken as directed by a doctor or as described in the drug packaging.
6. Decongestants
Decongestants help relieve nasal congestion which can worsen asthma symptoms due to allergies. This drug works to reduce blood vessels to reduce swelling and blockage in the respiratory tract. That way, you can breathe more freely and comfortably.
Decongestants are available in many types, from pills to tablets to nasal sprays. Pseudoephedrine (Sudafed, Sudogest) is the most common type of decongestant pill. While decongestants in the form of nasal sprays are usually phenylephrine (Sinex) and oxymetazoline ( Afrin).
Long-term use of decongestants can trigger dangerous side effects. Therefore, this drug should generally not be used for more than three days. Make sure you read the rules of use stated on the packaging of the packaging carefully before using it. Do not hesitate to ask your doctor or pharmacist if you do not understand very well about how to use decongestants.
For those of you who have a history of chronic illness, it is better to consult a doctor first before taking this medicine to treat allergic asthma.
7. Immunotherapy
Asthma can occur because the immune system overreacts to allergens that are actually harmless. This harmless substance is called an allergen. In normal people, allergens will not cause any symptoms. While in people who are allergic, allergens can trigger a series of symptoms such as sneezing, watery eyes, itching, and asthma symptoms.
In addition to taking the drugs mentioned above, people who have allergic asthma can also do immunotherapy. Immunotherapy is an allergic treatment method that aims to "train" the immune system so that it is not too sensitive to allergens, so it does not cause abnormal reactions.
Unfortunately, not all doctors can do immunotherapy. Only doctors who specialize in allergies and immunology (immunologists) can do it.
