ARTICLES
Exciting Emerging Asthma Treatments
Asthma is a chronic condition that has been around
for centuries. Asthma sufferers exist all over the world and in
every age group. This prevalence of people with asthma has created
a persistent need for effective asthma treatments. There have been
asthma medications and inhalers around for years that have provided
long term and short term relief for people with asthma. However,
what are the most recent advancements in asthma treatments? Read
on to find out.
Following are list of cutting edge techniques that have proven
successful when treating asthma.
Inhaled corticosteroids have been used in the past; however they
have been enhanced to provide better relief. The purpose of inhaled
corticosteroids is to provide anti-inflammatory medication that
decreases the amount of mucus and swelling in your airways. This
asthma treatment has also been shown to reduce the chance to an
over reaction to asthma triggers. While this asthma treatment has
been effective, researchers are testing newer inhaled corticosteroid
drugs that will be much more accurate in their effectiveness.
Another cutting edge asthma technique is to combine inhaled corticosteroids
with a long-acting bronchodilator. An example of this asthma treatment
is Advair. Advair has been highly advertised on television so you
may be familiar with the name. Advair contains a combination of
fluticasone and salmeterol. Similar products are expected to hit
the market in the near future.
Asthma researchers are also focusing on making treatments more
user friendly. For example, metered-dose inhalers can sometimes
be tricky to use, especially with children. It can be difficult
to hold the canister properly. Therefore, products such as the
Autohaler can be used. This asthma treatment is breath activated
which is a much simpler process. Extensive research in this asthma
treatment area is being conducted so look for new products in the
coming years.
The environment has become a big issue in recent years. Manufacturers
are looking for ways to use environmentally friendly products and
go green. Asthma treatments have taken part in this trend. For
example, asthma inhalers have been modified so they don’t
harm the ozone layer as much as previous versions.
Asthma researchers are also focusing on controlling asthma at
its source. Meaning they strive to find ways to block the immune
system’s response that causes airway constriction and asthma
symptoms. They are studying the immune system functions at a cellular
level to figure out how to stop the asthma process dead in its
tracks.
Another recent research development has to do with genetics. Researchers
want to identify the gene or genes that play a role in asthma.
They want to find out which genes cause people to have asthma.
They want to take his information and create ways to vaccinate
a person against asthma. This type of research will take years
to complete, but is exciting news for any asthma sufferer.
How can you help with this emerging research on asthma treatments?
Simple, become a clinical trial volunteer. In a clinical trial
all your doctors tests and medications are free of charge. You
may even be paid for your time. It is a great way to not only help
your asthma, but to help future asthma sufferers as well. |