Prevention and treatment
Controller or Preventive medicines on the other hand are used as maintenance drugs to help control or prevent asthma symptoms. Used daily, these medicines are not meant to be used for sudden asthma symptoms or attacks.
Pulmicort Respules, a controller/preventive medicine for asthma work by helping to prevent further inflammation in the airways which cause the symptoms and attacks from getting worse. This drug was specifically developed for children 12 months to 8 years of age to help prevent or control asthma symptoms that could lead to a full blown attack. The documented side-effects of this drug include respiratory infection, runny nose, earache, and coughing. Since it is an inhaled corticosteroid, there is also a possibility of a reduction of growth rate.
Asthma is a common childhood chronic condition that is not outgrown. The child remains at risk of asthma symptoms although symptoms may decrease in intensity. To keep asthma under control, children need to take daily medication as with anyone with a chronic condition. Under appropriate treatment, asthma should not interfere with a child’s daily routine.
Adequate prevention of a child’s asthmatic symptoms means:
- The child experiences little or no asthma symptoms such as wheezing, coughing, or difficulty breathing.
- The child does not wake up at night or early in the morning complaining of breathing problems.
- The child uses his emergency or rescue medication no more than 2 times a week.
- The child can participate in physical activities without bringing on asthma attacks.
Prevention of a child’s asthma symptoms is not totally getting rid of the condition. It is instead getting and keeping the symptoms under control. A child should be able to live a relatively normal, well rounded life despite his condition.
There are different ways to keep a child’s asthma symptoms in check and under control. There are rescue medicines and controller/preventive medicines.
Rescue or “quick relief” medicines like albuterol or oral steroids (prednisone or methylprednisolone) are taken at the onset of a sudden asthma attack. Rescue medication are not meant for everyday use. These are only used for short term relief of acute asthma symptoms and attacks.
Even if asthma symptoms appear to have disappeared or occur only occasionally, it is important to continue taking controller/preventive drugs as prescribed.
Used properly with correct recommended dose and frequency, bronchodilator inhaled meds are proven effective in airways opening narrowed caused by asthma with very few side-effects. This type of medication is given by both dose metered nebulizer or inhaler.
Most children use inhaled bronchodilator medications as their sole medication for relieving sudden asthma symptoms. They are highly effective for both severe and moderate asthma conditions.
There is a very dangerous side-effect with the use of this type of medication. The overuse or abuse of inhaled bronchodilator medication may make asthma in the child worse and may cause death from asthma. Under medication or using less than the prescribed dosage and frequency may also be lethal. If it is necessary to use this medication more often than prescribed, then it is not effective in this case in controlling asthma symptoms.