Understanding Asthma Medication Side Effects As They Are Impacting You

[jacob london]

When trying to control your asthma you need to consider the possible
side effects of the treatment. Sometimes the particular side effects
of your asthma medication can make daily living quite uncomfortable
and unpleasant to endure. It is known that you may have an increased
risk of side effects if you are using inhalers or oral medications on
a daily basis.
The intensity of the side effects differs according to the medication
used. Let us now look at some of the more common asthma medications
and the possible side effects that may occur when you use them.
First type: The Bronchodilators
A bronchodilator is commonly referred to as a rescue inhaler. What
they do is relax the muscles surrounding the airways and this has the
effect of enabling you to breathe more easily. However you will still
be left with the initial problem which is inflammation in the tubes.
Bronchodilators are by far and above the most frequently used product
for relieving your asthma symptions. the most common types in use are
albuterol and pirbuterol. Fortunately side effects are minimised when
you use bronchodilators but you may experience side effects if you
tend to overuse them and find that your heart rate is increased and
other irregularities.
Second type: The Oral Corticosteroids. If your asthma condition is
more acute then your symptoms may be more severe. This is when Oral
Corticosteroids may be prescribed for you. They have the benefit of
reducing inflammation in the bronchioles which are located in the
lungs. However using this type of medication brings with it the risk
of a number of side effects, so they are commonly only used in helping
reduce severe inflammation over a short period of time. Sometimes
though, if symptoms cannot be treated effectively with other types of
medication, then a steroid like prednisone may be used for longer term
treatment.
Some of the side effects which may occur with oral steroids are
insomnia, a thinning of the skin, mood changes and even a noticable
increase in your hair growth. Others are constant itching, development
of hives, a tingling sensation in your facial area, difficulty with
breathing, pain in the eyes, drinking more liquid, urinating more
often, pains in the stomach area, problems with vision, retaining
fluid and even putting on weight.
Third type: The Inhaled Steroids
If you are prescribed a type of steroid medication for inhaling then
the side effects are usually milder than those taken by mouth. This
type of medication is usually the best treatment initially for people
with asthma, because they have fewer side effects and they are
effective in treating inflammation. They can be used on a daily basis
over a long period of time, and may be used in conjunction with other
types of treatment.
However, it should be noted that oral yeast infections may occur when
using this type of treatment, and it is wise to visit your doctor for
frequent checkups to help prevent any problems from developing.
Fourth type: Leukotrine modifiers.
These types of medication are relatively new in the fight against
asthma. They are effective in reducing and even preventing
inflammation, but not so good when the condition is at a more advanced
stage. However you may find them to be beneficial in keeping
inflammation at bay.