02 May, 2006 World Asthma DayWorld Asthma Day takes place each year on the first Tuesday in May. This year it is today on the 2nd May.
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An Asthma Awareness Camp was organized at the the clinic of Dr. M.M. Talwar today in the morning in association with a leading pharmaceutical company specializing in Asthma related specialities. (CIPLA)
Dr. Talwar in an interactive discussion with Prof. Ravinder Puri informed the patients about the latest possibilities in Asthma Management. He told that today Asthma can be very controlled by use of inhaled medication delivered via Inhalers, but its important for the patients to learn the proper method of use of inhalers. He demonstrated him self the correct usage of the inhaler and rotahaler.
Later in the evening leading senior pediatrician of Sirsa, Dr. JL Khurana informed Sirsa News about various aspects of management of Asthma in children and infants. Dr. Khurana said that it was difficult to administer full doses of recommended anti-asthmatics to children as some of it went waste during improper inhalation, but now devises like spacer & mask adaptors for inhalers are quiet helpful. He also told that Nebulizers come handy in treating Asthma patients, however unlike abroad or in metro cities, where home use of Nebulizers is also becoming a common place, the use of Nebulizers in Sirsa is still limited to clinical use only.
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From Sirsa News Desk:
Asthma medicines
Here you can read a summery about the latest clinical research about asthma medicines.
Asthma preventers
One of the largest asthma studies in the world show that people with mild asthma who inhale budesonide daily will reduce their risk of having a severe asthma attackChest physicians are well familiar with the benefits of daily inhaled corticosteroids to chronic asthma patients, and this is now the standard treatment in most countries.
Adjustable maintenance dosing with budesonide/formoterol improves asthma control compared with fixed-dose salmeterol/fluticasoneAdjustable maintenance dose treatment with budesonide/formoterol provides a more effective asthma control than fixed maintenance dose with either budesonide/formoterol or salmeterol/fluticasone. In addition to better asthma control, this treatment also reduces total medications taken.
Adding another medicine to inhaled steroids for chronic asthma There is not enough evidence to support adding anti-leukotrienes to inhaled steroids when treating chronic asthma.
Patients with stable, mild to moderate asthma can benefit from once a day treatment with low dose inhaled steroids particularly budesonideOne low dose of inhaled steroid a day works to keep mild to moderate asthma under control.
Effect of different medications on asthma symptomsUsually steroids are used in increasing doses to control asthma symptoms. A recent study found that treatment with low doses of budesonide combined with theophylline works as well as high doses of budesonide..
Steroids and prevention of death from asthmaMost deaths from asthma can be prevented. Recently, a study found that the use of low-dose inhaled steroids helped lower the risk of death due to asthma.
Montelukast reduces need for steroidsPatients who take montelukast need less oral steroids to control asthma than patients who do not take montelukast.
Inhaled steroids can produce relief of asthma symptoms in less than a dayAsthma symptoms can be controlled by treatment with inhaled steroids. Relief can be felt one day after starting steroids and the best effects in 3 weeks or less in most cases.
High vs low dose of beclomethasone to control asthmaAn increase in a low dose of beclomethasone, an asthma medicine, may help to improve some symptoms in most asthmatic patients, but there is no proof that high doses will provide more benefits.
Oral steroid treatment for asthmaA daily dose of an oral steroid appears to be as effective as a moderate to high dose of inhaled steroids in the treatment of adults with asthma, although the side effects need to be taken into account.
Asthma and inhaled steroidsPeople with asthma can benefit from taking a drug called an inhaled steroid. A recent study shows that people with asthma have fewer symptoms when an inhaled steroid is used together with a bronchodilator.
Adjustable maintenance dosing with budesonide/formoterol reduces asthma attacks compared with traditional fixed dosingAdjustable maintenance dosing with budesonide/formoterol was preferable over fixed-dose treatment in several ways. It allowed the patients the flexibility to reduce the overall drug use and it gave a better control of asthma symptoms.
Inhaled steroids and asthmaSome asthma medications such as inhaled steroids could make the lungs of people with asthma less sensitive to irritants that can cause an asthma attack.
Adding a LABA to inhaled steroids for asthmaAsthma patients can feel better and have fewer attacks when a regular LABA is added to their regular ICS.
Immunotherapy for AsthmaSubstances in the air called allergens sometimes cause asthma. Surprisingly, the allergens that cause the symptoms may also be used to help you get rid of the symptoms. This allergen treatment is called allergen immunotherapy.
Asthma and antihistaminesAntihistamines are not beneficial in the treatment of asthma.
Asthma and steroids in the accident and emergency departmentPeople with asthma attacks who receive emergency treatment do better afterwards if they are given steroid therapy orally or by injection.
Asthma and pregnancyWomen with asthma do not seem to put their babies at increased risk when they keep taking their treatment during the first three months of pregnancy.
Prevention of asthma in children using inhaled steroidsChildren taking inhaled steroids have better lung function and reduction of asthma symptoms. The effect takes 8 weeks to be noticed. Inhaled steroids may help children with asthma feel better.
Budesonide/formoterol adjustable dosing in asthmaThe patients receiving a variable maintenance dose reduced the chance of experiencing acutely worsened asthmatic symptoms by 35%. This group also used 40% less medication compared the group taking a fixed maintenance dose.
Recent medicine to treat asthmaAnti-leukotrienes, are now available to treat asthma but may not be better than inhaled corticosteriods.
Inhaled steroids in the accident and emergency departmentPatients with asthma attacks who receive inhaled steroids in the accident and emergency department are admitted to hospital less often.
Asthma relievers
Metered dose inhaler vs nebuliserAn inhaler with a spacer is just as effective as a nebuliser for giving short-acting beta agonists to adults in hospital whose airways are restricted due to asthma or lung disease.
Formoterol vs terbutaline for asthmaTaken ‘as needed’, with inhaled corticosteroids, the long-acting betaß-agonist (formoterol) provide better asthma control than the short-acting betaß-agonists (terbutaline with ICS) in people with moderate or severe asthma.
Delivery methods of asthma medicine in asthma attacksAsthmatics are often treated with short acting beta2-agonists when they have an asthma attack. A study shows that inhalers with spacers and nebulisers are equally good in delivering this medication.
Long-acting beta2-agonists or theophyllineLong-acting beta2-agonists may work better than theophylline in controlling asthma in adults.
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