Know About Asthma Medications

Flunisolide is used to help prevent asthma symptoms such as wheezing and shortness of breath. For those who must take corticosteroids by mouth to control their asthma, flunisolide can be used to help decrease the dose of the medication that must be taken by mouth. This medication belongs to a class of drugs known as corticosteroids. It works to make breathing easier by reducing the swelling of the airways in the lungs, and decreasing phlegm and other asthma symptoms.

Corticosteroids help decrease the frequency of your attacks and reduce the need for other medications you may use to control your symptoms. Because inhaled corticosteroids control most forms of asthma by delivering medication directly to your airways, they have a low risk of side effects. When used as directed, inhaled corticosteroids can minimize your need for oral corticosteroids, which have a higher risk of side effects. Inhaled corticosteroids include fluticasone (Flovent), budesonide (Pulmicort), triamcinolone (Azmacort), flunisolide (Aerobid) and beclomethasone (Qvar). Advair Diskus is a combination inhaler containing fluticasone and salmeterol.

Asthma is a chronic, or long-term, disease. If you have asthma, at times your airways (the air passages of your lungs) become inflamed .When this happens, your airways get red and swollen. They become narrow, making it harder for you to breathe. You may also wheeze or cough. This is called an asthma flare-up (or "attack"). Even when you feel good, your airways can be inflamed. Certain things, such as smoke or dust, can start or trigger an asthma attack.

Anti-inflammatory drugs. This is the most important type of therapy for most people with asthma because these asthma medications prevent asthma attacks on an ongoing basis. Steroids, also called "corticosteroids," are an important type of anti-inflammatory medication for people suffering from asthma. These asthma medications reduce swelling and mucus production in the airways. As a result, airways are less sensitive and less likely to react to triggers.

Anti-inflammatory medications are recommended by the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI) expert panel for children with mild persistent, moderate and severe asthma as the cornerstone for daily routine medical management. This panel recommends that one of these medications be given daily to control airway inflammation. They are considered safe and effective for long-term use.

Anti-inflammatory drugs are being used to counter the inflammation in the lungs and bronchial airways. These drugs are very effective in reducing the inflammations and for smooth passage of air through the airways to lungs. Usually these are given as preventive medicine in many patients to make sure that Asthmatic attacks do not occur. Steroids are one types of drugs which is highly effective in making the airways less sensitive to allergies and hence reducing the chances of inflammatory swelling of airways.

Relievers – usually in blue/grey delivery devices. They provide immediate relief from asthma symptoms by relaxing the muscles around the airways. If you need to use reliever medication more than three or four times a week (except for controlling exercise-induced asthma), you should speak to your doctor, as this may indicate your asthma is not well controlled. This is the only medication to use in an asthma attack.