Therapy for bronchial asthma

Introduction

An inadequately treated bronchial asthma is associated with a major reduction in the quality of life of those affected and can lead to irreversible damage to the airways. In children, severe forms of asthma can lead to developmental disorders that can result in a reduction in physical and mental performance.

How to treat an asthma attack

The therapy of bronchial asthma consists of various components. Since asthma is usually triggered by an allergic reaction to a foreign substance, the most important therapeutic approach is to avoid the so-called trigger. However, in many cases (e.g. hay fever) this measure is difficult to implement.

To combat the acute symptoms such as shortness of breath, drugs are used to dilate the bronchi, i.e. the smallest airways. In addition, drugs are needed to curb the body’s excessive inflammatory reaction. These include cortisone.

General measures for asthma therapy

The general measures sometimes require the patient to make drastic changes to his or her living conditions, but also have a great influence on the course of the disease. The general measures include.

  • Avoid allergenic substances!

    This is the top priority in allergic asthma. As well as possible, contact with the triggering allergen should be reduced, e.g. by avoiding pets, observing pollen calendars or reducing carpets and curtains to reduce the density of dust mites. For children, stuffed animals should be deep-frozen about every 4 weeks, this also reduces the density of house dust mites.

    Depending on the triggering allergen, the implementation of complete allergen avoidance is more difficult or impossible. Above all: do not smoke!

  • Physical activity: Although an asthma attack can be triggered by strong physical exertion, asthmatics should nevertheless pay attention to regular physical activity (endurance sport) during therapy. Above all endurance sports such as jogging, cycling or swimming improve lung function.

    However, overstrain should be avoided (do not test limits! ).

  • Learning certain breathing techniques and breathing relaxation exercises can relieve shortness of breath during an asthma attack and reduce the frequency of attacks. An example of this is the “lip-brake”.

    This involves breathing in through the nose and breathing out through the slightly closed lips. The flow of air is thus slowed down somewhat and becomes more even.

  • Self-measurement of peak-flow with “peak-flow” devices By self-measuring peak-flow and writing down the values for each day, the patient can be enabled to see the current state of health and the development of the disease for himself. Since the disease is often underestimated by the patients during the symptom-free intervals, it is easier to carry out the correct drug therapy. Children in particular often benefit from keeping an “asthma diary”.
  • Patient training can provide assistance with general measures. It teaches techniques for allergen avoidance, symptom recognition, self-measurement of peak flow and gives advice on how to proceed in case of imminent or actual asthma attacks.