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Preventive Medication in the management of chronic asthma
Preventive medication is a key factor in the management of chronic asthma as it ensures long-term control and stopping of asthma attacks before they start. Preventive treatments involve learning to recognize asthma triggers of the patient and taking steps to avoid them such triggers. Besides, tracking the patients breathing is critical in ensuring the preventive medications are keeping symptoms under control (Brusselle, VanderStichele, Jordens, Deman, Slabbynck, Ringoet, Demeyere, 2013). Moreover, preventive medication involves the use of quick-relief inhaler such as albuterol in the case of an asthma attack. Preventive, long-term control medications are key to reducing the inflammation of the airways of the patient that leads to asthma symptoms. For example, quick-relief inhalers are bronchodilators that quickly open-up the swollen airways that tend to block airways thereby limiting breathing. Notably, long-term asthma control medications are taken daily and are critical for chronic asthma management as they reduce the likelihood of asthma attack and keep the condition under control on a day-to-day basis (Brusselle, VanderStichele, Jordens, Deman, Slabbynck, Ringoet, Demeyere, 2013).
Correct Use of Inhaler Devices
Inhaled medications are key to asthma management as form the cornerstone of asthma therapy. However, their effectivity depends on how proper and correctly they are used. Correct use of inhalers ensures that the medication is delivered to the patient’s lungs, where it can work to control the patient’s symptoms (Haughney, Price, Barnes, Virchow, Roche, Chrystyn, 2010). For instance, the Metered dose inhalers are devices used to deliver various inhaled medications. Their correct use involves taking the cap off the mouthpiece and pushing down on the canister with the index finger while inhaling through the mouth to breathing in the medication. The patient should take a slow but deep breath while pressing down on the medication canister (Price, Bosnic-Anticevich, Briggs, Chrystyn, Rand, Scheuch, Inhaler Error Steering Committee. 2013). The correct use of inhaler devices is key to ensuring effectivity of inhaler medication by ensuring that the medicine reaches the lungs for quick opening of the swollen airways to alleviate symptoms.
Avoiding Asthma Triggers
Avoiding asthma triggers is critical in chronic asthma management as it ensures that patients are not exposed to factors that may induce an asthma attack. The first step avoiding asthma triggers is to identify the triggers by paying attention to the pattern of asthma symptoms of an individual and keeping an asthma symptoms-trigger diary (Vernon, Wiklund, Bell, Dale, Chapman, 2012). Notably, using a record of symptoms, peak flow meter readings, and the circumstances during which symptoms occurred is critical in identifying possible triggers for the patient. Once identified, the asthma triggers should be avoided by including them in the overall asthma action plan of the patient (Vernon, Wiklund, Bell, Dale, Chapman, 2012).
Exercise, including measuring Peak Flow
Exercise is key to improving cardiopulmonary fitness in asthmatic patients. Most importantly, exercise can improve asthma symptom management by promoting lung function and mental health. However, exercise may induce symptoms in asthma patients leading to exercise-induced asthma attack due to the constriction of smooth muscle in the airways in response to the physical activity (Lougheed, Lemière, Dell, Ducharme, FitzGerald, Leigh, Boulet, 2010). Therefore, practitioners in this setting need to guide the patients on how to manage exercise-induced symptoms and strive to promote the benefits of regular exercise. Notably, a peak flow meter is key to recognizing and managing exercise-induced asthma as it measures peak expiratory flow rate of the patient by measuring the fastest speed at which the patient, after taking a maximal breath, can blow air out of the lungs (Lougheed, Lemière, Dell, Ducharme, FitzGerald, Leigh, Boulet, 2010). Using a peak flow meter is important in managing chronic asthma as it alerts the patient to the tightening of the airways long before any asthma symptoms occurs hence the patient will know when to take quick medication by incorporate a peak expiratory flow rate in his/her asthma action plan.