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.

# Asthma Treatment Summary Asthma management uses a tiered approach combining rescue and controller medications. **Albuterol** serves as the fast-acting first-line rescue therapy for acute symptoms, while **inhaled corticosteroids** (fluticasone, budesonide) form the foundation of daily control. **Combination inhalers** like budesonide/formoterol and Advair are preferred for moderate to severe persistent asthma. For exacerbations unresponsive to standard therapy, **oral prednisone** or **Medrol Dosepak** rapidly reduce inflammation, and severe cases may require adjunctive treatments like **magnesium sulfate**, **heliox**, or **BiPAP**. Advanced biologics such as **Dupilimab** and **mepolizumab** target specific inflammatory pathways for patients with eosinophilic phenotypes or steroid dependence.