National guidelines set goals to improve care of asthmatic patients. Simple, straightforward objectives are set forth, including the prevention of chronic symptoms, maintaining normal lung function and activity levels, preventing exacerbations, and lessening the need for emergency department visits and…
Asthma Meds and Devices
Asthma Medications and Devices: Drug Delivery Devices
In order for medications to reach the lungs when using aerosol drug delivery devices, the proper particle size must be achieved. Particles >10 µm in diameter deposit in the mouth and pharynx and are subsequently swallowed. Particles from 5–10 µm…
What Are Inhaled Steroids and Who Needs Them?
Inhaled steroids reduce and prevent inflammation, swelling, and mucus build-up in your airways and lungs. By doing so, they help prevent asthma attacks and keep you breathing easier, allowing the proper amount of oxygen to get into your lungs and…
QVAR, Inhalation Aerosol
QVAR is an advanced HFA formulation of beclomethasone dipropionate and will provide proven efficacy at half the dose of CFC-BDP. Unlike CFC-based formulations, the use of HFA allows BDP to be evenly distributed in a solution rather than a suspension.…
Asthma Medications and Devices: Asthma Triggers
Patients with asthma may have a general understanding of substances that can initiate and/or aggravate their symptoms. Ideally, avoidance of these triggers would benefit patients the most. However, avoidance is not always possible and it is important to teach patients…
Asthma Medications and Devices: Asthma Pathophysiology
Asthma is a chronic condition of airway obstruction in which patients experience wheezing, coughing, shortness of breath, and chest tightness in an episodic fashion. This obstruction is reversible upon treatment. The true cause of asthma remains unknown; however, the asthmatic…
Asthma Medications and Devices: Role of Anti-Inflammatory Therapy
Despite the presence of treatment guidelines many patients are not appropriately managed with drug therapy. Death rates for asthma are increasing, and patients report severe symptoms at alarmingly high rates. Both healthcare providers and patients are guilty of a lack…