Asthma

Respiratory

Bronchial Asthma

Asthma is a chronic inflammatory disease of the airways that causes episodic narrowing and increased mucus production, leading to difficulty breathing. Symptoms commonly include wheezing, shortness of breath, chest tightness, and coughing, often worse at night or early morning. Airway inflammation makes the lungs hyper-responsive to triggers such as allergens, exercise, cold air, respiratory infections, or irritants like smoke. Although asthma has no cure, it is usually well controlled with inhaled medications that reduce inflammation and relax airway muscles, allowing most patients to live normal, active lives.

AI Summary of Treatment Experiences

Not medical advice.

The treatment landscape for asthma includes both acute and long-term management strategies. Short-acting bronchodilators like albuterol are the first-line therapy for acute exacerbations, while inhaled corticosteroids such as fluticasone propionate are the mainstay for long-term control. Prednisone is highly effective for severe exacerbations but should be used short-term due to side effects. Add-on therapies like montelukast and mepolizumab may be used for specific asthma phenotypes or when symptoms remain uncontrolled despite optimized first-line treatments. In severe cases, magnesium sulfate, heliox, and bilevel positive airway pressure can be used to prevent intubation.