A Guide to Asthma Treatment and How to Use an Inhaler

There's no cure for asthma, a chronic lung disease marked by inflammation of the bronchial tubes (airways) of the lungs.

But a number of treatments for asthma are available — both to help prevent symptoms and to treat them when they do occur.

Without proper treatment, asthma may get worse as you get older, with asthma attacks increasing in their frequency and severity.

• Quickly improve symptoms when they occur
• Prevent symptoms and attacks
• Improve your sleep and activity level

The treatment your doctor prescribes for your asthma will likely depend on your age,type of asthma，，，，severity of your condition, and how your body responds to various treatment options. Finding the right treatment to control yourasthma symptomsmay require trying various methods, and what works for you can change over time.

There Are 2 Main Types of Inhalers

Inhalers can deliver medicines to the airways that help prevent asthma attacks, relieve symptoms during anasthma attack，，，，or do both. There are two main types of inhaler devices.

Metered-dose inhaler (MDI)这是最常用的吸入器。它具有靴子形的烟嘴，插入了加压的，含药的罐。自1956年以来，这种设计一直在使用。

您通过将烟嘴插入嘴中并在吸入时向下推到罐子上，向肺部输送一定剂量的药物。

Your MDI may have a counter that tells you how many doses are left in the canister.

It may be difficult to coordinate your inhalation with the release of medicine from your inhaler. But this step is essential to ensuring that the medicine reaches your lungs (the main goal of inhaled therapy).

To decrease the chance that the medicine stays in your mouth, you can attach a holding chamber called a spacer to your MDI. (Some MDIs have built-in spacers.)

Spacers temporarily hold the released medicine, allowing you to inhale slowly, deeply, and at your own pace to get the full dose into your lungs.

一些MDI被称为呼吸吸入器，当您吸入时会自动释放一顿药。

确保您知道如何使用您的医生开处方的任何类型的吸入器；并仔细检查您正确使用它（有关如何使用下面的吸入器的更多信息）。如果您对使用情况有疑问或任何说明不清楚，请询问您的医生，药剂师或医疗保健提供者。

While MDIs originally used chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) as their propellant, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) phased out all CFC-basedalbuterolinhalers in 2008 owing to the environmental damage caused by CFCs.

Dry-powder inhalerThis type of device doesn’t use a chemical propellant to launch medicine into your lungs. Instead, it contains a powdered formula that you draw into your lungs with a deep, fast inhalation.

有关的：内置传感器的数字吸入器赢得了FDA批准

Anyone Having Difficulty Using an Inhaler Can Try a Nebulizer

While not technically an inhaler, there’s yet another option for inhaling medicine.

NebulizerIf you have严重的哮喘and are unable to use a regular inhaler, a nebulizer may be a better option.

This machine turns liquid medicine into a fine mist that you inhale through a mouthpiece, a mask that fits over your nose and mouth, or into your mouth alone.

1. Remove the cap from the mouthpiece and inspect it for residue or blockages.
2. Shake the inhaler vigorously for a few seconds.
3. Take a deep breath and then exhale completely.
4. While standing or sitting upright, begin to breathe in slowly with the inhaler in place and press the button. Continue breathing in after pressing it.
5. 保持呼吸5到10秒，然后通过嘴缓慢呼吸。

有关的：6 Tips for Jazzing Up Your Asthma Inhaler

Asthma medication falls into two general categories: drugs for quick relief and those for long-term control.

Quick-Relief Medication for Asthma

Quick-relief medication, which includes short-acting beta-agonists and anticholinergics, is inhaled (with the devices describe above) to relieve flare-ups of asthma symptoms.

短效Beta激动剂药物，例如albuterol，，，，levalbuterol，，，，andterbutalineare the first choice for quick relief of attacks. These drugs relax the smooth muscles around the airways and reduce swelling in the lining of the airways.

Anticholinergics药物，例如tiotropiumalso relax the smooth muscles around the airways and reducemucusproduction, but they work more slowly than short-acting beta-agonists.

哮喘的长期控制药物

吸入皮质类固醇Corticosteroids are the standard treatment, and widely considered the most effective type of medicine to prevent attacks. They work by reducing the body’s inflammatory responses.

Inhaled long-acting beta-agonistsThese drugs prevent the narrowing of the airways by relaxing the smooth muscles there; they should always be taken in combination with inhaled corticosteroids.

Leukotriene modifiersTaken by mouth, these drugs block either the production or the effect of leukotrienes, chemicals that can lead to asthma attacks.

Cromolyn sodiumCromolyn sodiumis an inhaled nonsteroidal drug that prevents cells from releasing inflammation-causing chemicals. (This medication is rarely used now.)

MethylxanthinesTaken by mouth, these drugs help relax and open the airways.

Combination Single Maintenance and Reliever Therapy (SMART)

该准则于12月在Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunologyand on the NHLBI website.

组合药物被发现莫re effective for helping you avoid unexpected trips to the emergency room or your doctor’s office, and can also help you avoid larger corticosteroid doses — which with long-term use raise the risk of side effects such asosteoporosis，，，，high blood pressure,白内障，，，，andglaucoma。

对于大多数患有哮喘的人来说，管理慢性病涉及针对您的症状和生活方式量身定制的多管齐下方法。

但是，每个人的第一步都是对您的哮喘行动计划有牢固的理解。

与您的医生一起制定哮喘行动计划，该计划涵盖了如何：

• Take your medication properly
• 避免哮喘触发与体育锻炼无关的allergensand airborne irritants
• Track your asthma control
• Respond to worsening symptoms
• Seek emergency care when needed
• Quit smoking，如果你这样做

In addition, monitor your symptoms carefully. Keep track of what they are, when they occur, and their severity.

• In cold, dry air
• Shortly after you get a cold or have anasthma attack
• During high pollen conditions
• In environments with airborne irritants, such as cigarette smoke

其他报告奎因·菲利普斯（Quinn Phillips），，，，Markham Heid，，，，andSari Harrar。