Wei Laboratories, Inc.
| ........................................................................................................................... |
| Toll Free: 888.919.1188 International 408.970.8700 |
| Email: wei@weilab.com |
What is Asthma?
When you have asthma, your airways narrow and swell. They produce extra mucus, and breathing becomes difficult.
The most common asthma signs and symptoms are coughing, wheezing and shortness of breath. For some people,
asthma symptoms are a minor nuisance. For others, they're a major problem that interferes with daily activities. If you
have severe asthma, you may be at risk of a life-threatening asthma attack.
Asthma can't be cured, but its symptoms can be controlled. Treatments include taking steps to avoid your particular
asthma triggers, using long-term control medications to prevent flare-ups and using a quick-relief inhaler to control
symptoms once they start. Because asthma changes over time, you'll work with your doctor to track your signs and
symptoms and adjust treatment as needed.
Symptoms
Asthma symptoms range from minor to severe and vary from person to person. You may have mild symptoms and
asthma attacks may be infrequent. Between asthma flare-ups you may feel normal and have no trouble breathing. You
may have symptoms primarily at night, during exercise or when you're exposed to specific triggers. Or you may have
asthma symptoms all the time. Asthma signs and symptoms include:
• Shortness of breath
• Chest tightness or pain
• Trouble sleeping caused by shortness of breath, coughing or wheezing
• An audible whistling or wheezing sound when exhaling (wheezing is a common sign of asthma in children)
• Bouts of coughing or wheezing that are worsened by a respiratory virus such as a cold or the flu
• Signs that your asthma is probably getting worse include:
It isn't clear why some people get asthma and others don't, but it's probably due to a combination of environmental and
genetic (inherited) factors.
Asthma triggers are different from person to person. Exposure to a number of different allergens and irritants can
trigger signs and symptoms of asthma, including:
• Airborne allergens, such as pollen, animal dander, mold, cockroaches and dust mites
• Respiratory infections, such as the common cold
• Physical activity (exercise-induced asthma)
• Cold air
• Air pollutants and irritants, such as smoke
• Certain medications, including beta blockers, aspirin and other nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs
• Strong emotions and stress
• Sulfites, preservatives added to some types of foods and beverages
• Gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), a condition in which stomach acids back up into your throat
• Menstrual cycle in some women
• Allergic reactions to some foods, such as peanuts or shellfish
Western Medicine Treatment
Prevention and long-term control is the key to preventing asthma attacks. Treatment usually involves learning to
recognize your triggers and taking steps to avoid them, and tracking your breathing to make sure your daily asthma
medications are keeping symptoms under control. In case of an asthma flare-up, you may need to use a quick-relief
inhaler such as albuterol.
The right medications for you depend on a number of things, including your age, your symptoms, your asthma triggers
and what seems to work best to keep your asthma under control. Preventive, long-term control medications reduce the
inflammation in your airways that leads to symptoms. Quick-relief inhalers (bronchodilators) quickly open swollen
airways that are limiting breathing. In some cases, medications to treat specific allergies are needed.
Long-term control medications
In most cases, these medications need to be taken every day. Types of long-term control medications include:
• Inhaled corticosteroids. These medications include fluticasone (Flovent Diskus, Flovent HFA), budesonide
(Pulmicort Flexhaler), mometasone (Asmanex), flunisolide (Aerobid), beclomethasone (Qvar) and others. They are
the most commonly prescribed type of long-term asthma medication. You may need to use these medications for
several days to weeks before they reach their maximum benefit. Unlike oral corticosteroids, these corticosteroid
medications have a relatively low risk of side effects and are generally safe for long-term use.
• Leukotriene modifiers. These oral medications include montelukast (Singulair), zafirlukast (Accolate) and zileuton
(Zyflo, Zyflo CR). They help prevent asthma symptoms for up to 24 hours. In rare cases, these medications have
been linked to psychological reactions such as agitation, aggression, hallucinations, depression and suicidal
thinking. Seek medical advice right away for any unusual reaction.
• Long-acting beta agonists (LABAs). These inhaled medications include salmeterol (Serevent Diskus) and
formoterol (Foradil Aerolizer). LABAs open the airways and reduce inflammation. However, they've been linked to
severe asthma attacks. LABAs should be taken only in combination with an inhaled corticosteroid.
• Combination inhalers such as fluticasone and salmeterol (Advair Diskus) and budesonide and formoterol
(Symbicort). These medications contain a LABA along with a corticosteroid. Like other LABA medications, these
medications may increase your risk of having a severe asthma attack.
• Theophylline. This is a daily pill that helps keep the airways open (bronchodilator). Theophylline (Theo-24,
Elixophyllin, others) relaxes the muscles around the airways to make breathing easier. It's not used as often now
as in past years.
Quick-relief medications
Quick-relief (rescue) medications are used as needed for rapid, short-term symptom relief during an asthma attack —
or before exercise if your doctor recommends it. Types of quick-relief medications include:
• Short-acting beta agonists. These inhaled, quick-relief bronchodilators can rapidly ease symptoms during an
asthma attack. They include albuterol (ProAir HFA, Ventolin HFA, others), levalbuterol (Xopenex HFA) and pirbuterol
(Maxair Autohaler). These medications act within minutes, and effects last several hours.
• Ipratropium (Atrovent). Your doctor might prescribe this inhaled medication for immediate relief of your symptoms.
Like other bronchodilators, ipratropium relaxes the airways, making it easier to breathe. Ipratropium is mostly
used for emphysema and chronic bronchitis, but it's sometimes used to treat asthma attacks.
• Oral and intravenous corticosteroids. These medications relieve airway inflammation caused by severe asthma.
Examples include prednisone and methylprednisolone. They can cause serious side effects when used long
term, so they're used only on a short-term basis to treat severe asthma symptoms.
If your asthma is triggered or worsened by allergies, you may benefit from allergy treatment as well. Allergy treatments
include:
• Allergy shots (immunotherapy). Immunotherapy injections are generally given once a week for a few months, then
once a month for a period of three to five years. Over time, they gradually reduce your immune system reaction to
specific allergens.
• Omalizumab (Xolair). This medication is specifically for people who have allergies and severe asthma. It acts by
altering the immune system. Omalizumab is delivered by injection every two to four weeks.
• Allergy medications. These include oral and nasal spray antihistamines and decongestants as well as
corticosteroid, cromolyn and ipratropium nasal sprays.
Don't rely on quick-relief medications
Long-term asthma control medications — such as inhaled corticosteroids — are the cornerstone of asthma treatment.
These medications keep asthma under control on a day-to-day basis and make it less likely you'll have an asthma
attack.
If you do have an asthma flare-up, a quick-relief inhaler can ease your symptoms right away. But if your long-term
control medications are working properly, you shouldn't need to use your quick-relief inhaler very often. Keep a record of
how many puffs you use each week. If you need to use your quick-relief inhaler more often than your doctor
recommends, see your doctor. You probably need to adjust your long-term control medication.
Bronchial thermoplasty
This treatment is used for severe asthma that doesn't improve with inhaled corticosteroids or other long-term asthma
medications. Generally done in three outpatient visits, bronchial thermoplasty heats the insides of the airways in the
lungs with an electrode, reducing the smooth muscle inside the airways. This limits the ability of the airways to tighten,
making breathing easier and may reduce asthma attacks. Bronchial thermoplasty isn't widely available. More research
is needed to determine whether the benefits of this treatment outweigh the possible risks and potential side effects.
Alternative Medicine
There is a significant progress using alternative medicine in this area.
If you want a referral of an expert alternative medicine practitioner in your
local area, please use our free referral service by calling our toll-free at
1-888-919-1188, or e-mail us to wei@weilab.com, or click the button
at the right to have us contact you.
Information gathered from the Mayo Clinic
When you have asthma, your airways narrow and swell. They produce extra mucus, and breathing becomes difficult.
The most common asthma signs and symptoms are coughing, wheezing and shortness of breath. For some people,
asthma symptoms are a minor nuisance. For others, they're a major problem that interferes with daily activities. If you
have severe asthma, you may be at risk of a life-threatening asthma attack.
Asthma can't be cured, but its symptoms can be controlled. Treatments include taking steps to avoid your particular
asthma triggers, using long-term control medications to prevent flare-ups and using a quick-relief inhaler to control
symptoms once they start. Because asthma changes over time, you'll work with your doctor to track your signs and
symptoms and adjust treatment as needed.
Symptoms
Asthma symptoms range from minor to severe and vary from person to person. You may have mild symptoms and
asthma attacks may be infrequent. Between asthma flare-ups you may feel normal and have no trouble breathing. You
may have symptoms primarily at night, during exercise or when you're exposed to specific triggers. Or you may have
asthma symptoms all the time. Asthma signs and symptoms include:
• Shortness of breath
• Chest tightness or pain
• Trouble sleeping caused by shortness of breath, coughing or wheezing
• An audible whistling or wheezing sound when exhaling (wheezing is a common sign of asthma in children)
• Bouts of coughing or wheezing that are worsened by a respiratory virus such as a cold or the flu
• Signs that your asthma is probably getting worse include:
- o More frequent and bothersome asthma signs and symptoms
o Increasing difficulty breathing (this can be measured by a peak flow meter, a simple device used to check
how well your lungs are working)
o An increasingly frequent need to use a quick-relief inhaler
- o Exercise-induced asthma occurs during exercise. For many people, exercise-induced asthma is worse
when the air is cold and dry.
o Occupational asthma is asthma that's caused or worsened by breathing in a workplace irritant such as
chemical fumes, gases or dust.
o Allergy-induced asthma. Some people have asthma symptoms that are triggered by particular allergens,
such as pet dander, cockroaches or pollen.
It isn't clear why some people get asthma and others don't, but it's probably due to a combination of environmental and
genetic (inherited) factors.
Asthma triggers are different from person to person. Exposure to a number of different allergens and irritants can
trigger signs and symptoms of asthma, including:
• Airborne allergens, such as pollen, animal dander, mold, cockroaches and dust mites
• Respiratory infections, such as the common cold
• Physical activity (exercise-induced asthma)
• Cold air
• Air pollutants and irritants, such as smoke
• Certain medications, including beta blockers, aspirin and other nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs
• Strong emotions and stress
• Sulfites, preservatives added to some types of foods and beverages
• Gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), a condition in which stomach acids back up into your throat
• Menstrual cycle in some women
• Allergic reactions to some foods, such as peanuts or shellfish
Western Medicine Treatment
Prevention and long-term control is the key to preventing asthma attacks. Treatment usually involves learning to
recognize your triggers and taking steps to avoid them, and tracking your breathing to make sure your daily asthma
medications are keeping symptoms under control. In case of an asthma flare-up, you may need to use a quick-relief
inhaler such as albuterol.
The right medications for you depend on a number of things, including your age, your symptoms, your asthma triggers
and what seems to work best to keep your asthma under control. Preventive, long-term control medications reduce the
inflammation in your airways that leads to symptoms. Quick-relief inhalers (bronchodilators) quickly open swollen
airways that are limiting breathing. In some cases, medications to treat specific allergies are needed.
Long-term control medications
In most cases, these medications need to be taken every day. Types of long-term control medications include:
• Inhaled corticosteroids. These medications include fluticasone (Flovent Diskus, Flovent HFA), budesonide
(Pulmicort Flexhaler), mometasone (Asmanex), flunisolide (Aerobid), beclomethasone (Qvar) and others. They are
the most commonly prescribed type of long-term asthma medication. You may need to use these medications for
several days to weeks before they reach their maximum benefit. Unlike oral corticosteroids, these corticosteroid
medications have a relatively low risk of side effects and are generally safe for long-term use.
• Leukotriene modifiers. These oral medications include montelukast (Singulair), zafirlukast (Accolate) and zileuton
(Zyflo, Zyflo CR). They help prevent asthma symptoms for up to 24 hours. In rare cases, these medications have
been linked to psychological reactions such as agitation, aggression, hallucinations, depression and suicidal
thinking. Seek medical advice right away for any unusual reaction.
• Long-acting beta agonists (LABAs). These inhaled medications include salmeterol (Serevent Diskus) and
formoterol (Foradil Aerolizer). LABAs open the airways and reduce inflammation. However, they've been linked to
severe asthma attacks. LABAs should be taken only in combination with an inhaled corticosteroid.
• Combination inhalers such as fluticasone and salmeterol (Advair Diskus) and budesonide and formoterol
(Symbicort). These medications contain a LABA along with a corticosteroid. Like other LABA medications, these
medications may increase your risk of having a severe asthma attack.
• Theophylline. This is a daily pill that helps keep the airways open (bronchodilator). Theophylline (Theo-24,
Elixophyllin, others) relaxes the muscles around the airways to make breathing easier. It's not used as often now
as in past years.
Quick-relief medications
Quick-relief (rescue) medications are used as needed for rapid, short-term symptom relief during an asthma attack —
or before exercise if your doctor recommends it. Types of quick-relief medications include:
• Short-acting beta agonists. These inhaled, quick-relief bronchodilators can rapidly ease symptoms during an
asthma attack. They include albuterol (ProAir HFA, Ventolin HFA, others), levalbuterol (Xopenex HFA) and pirbuterol
(Maxair Autohaler). These medications act within minutes, and effects last several hours.
• Ipratropium (Atrovent). Your doctor might prescribe this inhaled medication for immediate relief of your symptoms.
Like other bronchodilators, ipratropium relaxes the airways, making it easier to breathe. Ipratropium is mostly
used for emphysema and chronic bronchitis, but it's sometimes used to treat asthma attacks.
• Oral and intravenous corticosteroids. These medications relieve airway inflammation caused by severe asthma.
Examples include prednisone and methylprednisolone. They can cause serious side effects when used long
term, so they're used only on a short-term basis to treat severe asthma symptoms.
If your asthma is triggered or worsened by allergies, you may benefit from allergy treatment as well. Allergy treatments
include:
• Allergy shots (immunotherapy). Immunotherapy injections are generally given once a week for a few months, then
once a month for a period of three to five years. Over time, they gradually reduce your immune system reaction to
specific allergens.
• Omalizumab (Xolair). This medication is specifically for people who have allergies and severe asthma. It acts by
altering the immune system. Omalizumab is delivered by injection every two to four weeks.
• Allergy medications. These include oral and nasal spray antihistamines and decongestants as well as
corticosteroid, cromolyn and ipratropium nasal sprays.
Don't rely on quick-relief medications
Long-term asthma control medications — such as inhaled corticosteroids — are the cornerstone of asthma treatment.
These medications keep asthma under control on a day-to-day basis and make it less likely you'll have an asthma
attack.
If you do have an asthma flare-up, a quick-relief inhaler can ease your symptoms right away. But if your long-term
control medications are working properly, you shouldn't need to use your quick-relief inhaler very often. Keep a record of
how many puffs you use each week. If you need to use your quick-relief inhaler more often than your doctor
recommends, see your doctor. You probably need to adjust your long-term control medication.
Bronchial thermoplasty
This treatment is used for severe asthma that doesn't improve with inhaled corticosteroids or other long-term asthma
medications. Generally done in three outpatient visits, bronchial thermoplasty heats the insides of the airways in the
lungs with an electrode, reducing the smooth muscle inside the airways. This limits the ability of the airways to tighten,
making breathing easier and may reduce asthma attacks. Bronchial thermoplasty isn't widely available. More research
is needed to determine whether the benefits of this treatment outweigh the possible risks and potential side effects.
Alternative Medicine
There is a significant progress using alternative medicine in this area.
If you want a referral of an expert alternative medicine practitioner in your
local area, please use our free referral service by calling our toll-free at
1-888-919-1188, or e-mail us to wei@weilab.com, or click the button
at the right to have us contact you.
Information gathered from the Mayo Clinic
| Referral Service for Patients with Asthma |
| Click Here |
| To Have Us Contact You |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| Click Here |
| To Have Us Contact You |