Preventing an asthma attack

Therapy for asthma consists of medications designed to prevent an asthma attack as well as medications used to relieve symptoms once an attack has occurred. A person with asthma must be very careful to take the correct medication at the appropriate time and not mix them up -- for example, both prevention and relief medications for asthma may be supplied in inhalers. This is very important since some medications are useful only for attack prevention and do not work once an attack has occurred.

The first step in preventing asthma attacks involves identifying and avoiding substances known to trigger attacks in a particular person. Get to know your waning signs, as identified above.

If these efforts don't work, and the person needs medication for asthma prevention, the physician may prescribe inhalers -- the mainstay of preventing asthma attacks -- and/or pills. Inhalers prescribed to prevent asthma attacks must be used every day and often 2-3 times a day.

Steroid inhalers prevent the inflammation that occurs in asthma, thus reducing the buildup of mucus that contributes to bronchiole obstruction. There are also non-steroid inhalers that decrease inflammation and help prevent attacks.

Bronchodilator inhalers used to prevent narrowing of the bronchioles, such as Serevent, contain a drug that works to keep an attack from occurring when the person is exposed to an asthma "trigger" -- for example, an allergy-causing substance like animal dander. Important: This type of inhaler is not effective for treating an attack once it has occurred.

Pills are also used, but less often than inhalers, to prevent asthma attacks. One such pill, theophylline, can help prevent less serious attacks, but some people with severe asthma must take steroid pills every day for weeks or years to keep from having an attack. However, doctors try to avoid prescribing steroid pills due to their many side effects, such as weight gain and diabetes. The newest pills to prevent asthma attacks are called leukotriene inhibitors, such as Singulair and Accolate. These medications, which work like steroids, may be used to decrease the dose -- and thus the side effects -- of steroid pills needed to prevent an attack. Leukotriene inhibitors can also be tried as a substitute for steroid inhalers, depending on the severity of the patient's asthma.