When you have asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), or any other condition that affects your breathing, finding the right treatment can make a significant difference in your daily life. But with so many types of inhalers, breathing treatments, and medications, knowing which one is best for you isn’t easy.
Some medications provide quick relief when symptoms flare up, while others are taken regularly to control symptoms and prevent them from worsening. Understanding how these treatments work can help you have a more informed conversation with your doctor about your treatment plan.
At MS Family Medicine Health Care, PC, in Mineola, New York, Dr. Michele Reed and our team provide primary care services, including management of respiratory conditions such as asthma and COPD. Here are some of the treatments we may recommend to help you breathe easier.
Respiratory conditions can make it hard to breathe by causing inflammation, narrowing, or obstruction of your airways. Depending on the condition, this can lead to symptoms such as:
Inhaled medications deliver medicine directly to your airways and lungs, where they help relax airway muscles, reduce inflammation, or both. Other medications may work throughout your body to control the underlying condition.
The right treatment depends on your diagnosis, symptoms, disease severity, and other individual factors. Even people with the same respiratory condition may need different treatment approaches.
Inhalers can contain different types of medications. Some are used for quick relief when symptoms occur, while others are used regularly to help control your lung condition.
Short-acting bronchodilators are used as quick-relief or rescue medications. They work by relaxing the muscles in your airway, helping them open so air can move more easily into and out of your lungs.
Long-acting bronchodilators also relax your airway muscles to improve breathing, but the effects last much longer, usually about 12-24 hours. They’re used as maintenance therapy to help control symptoms over time.
Inhaled corticosteroids reduce airway inflammation and lessen mucus production. They’re controller medications most often used for asthma, but may also benefit people with COPD.
Some inhalers contain two or more medications, such as a corticosteroid combined with a long-acting bronchodilator. Combination inhalers simplify the treatment routine and may help improve control.
A nebulizer is a device that turns liquid medication into a fine, breathable mist you inhale through a mouthpiece or mask. The treatment takes 5-20 minutes, during which time you breathe in the medication.
Nebulized medications may include bronchodilators and other medications used to manage respiratory symptoms. They’re useful for people who have difficulty using inhalers.
One advantage of a nebulizer is that it requires less breathing coordination than handheld inhalers. However, nebulizers are large and less portable than inhalers and require a power source or batteries.
Not all medications for breathing disorders are inhaled. Some are taken by mouth or through injection.
Oral corticosteroids are prescribed for short periods to treat moderate to severe asthma or COPD flare-ups. They work throughout your body to lower inflammation and help improve your breathing.
Leukotriene modifiers are available in pill, chewable, or granule form. They stop or block your body from making an immune chemical, leukotriene, that causes airway swelling and closing.
Biologics are targeted therapies prescribed for people with certain types of moderate to severe asthma that don’t improve with traditional treatment. Given by injection or infusion, biologics target specific pathways involved in inflammation.
Breathing conditions may require different types of treatments, from quick-relief inhalers to daily controller medications, nebulized treatments, or targeted therapies. The best treatment for you depends on your specific condition, the severity and frequency of your symptoms, your response to treatment, and your individual needs.
If your current treatment plan isn’t controlling your symptoms, don’t adjust or stop your medications on your own. We can review your symptoms, medical history, and current treatment plan, and help you make adjustments so you can breathe easier.
Call our office today or request an appointment online anytime.
