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asthma


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             Throughout history there have been several reports of folk remedies - some of which probably worked like today's Bronchodilators - drugs that counteract the constriction of the airways. It was not until the 1960's that physicians discovered that asthma is an inflammatory disease. .
             3.0 Modern Trends .
             3.1 Treatment .
             The treatment of asthma has improved over time as the scientific understanding of the disease has advanced. Today, your doctor has specific guidelines for diagnosis and treatment that he or she can follow. A variety of effective asthma medications are now available to choose from. Treatment of mild asthma usually tries to relieve occasional symptoms as they occur by use of short-acting, inhaled bronchodilators and anti-inflammatories. Bronchodilators are drugs that open up or dilate the constricted airways, while drugs aimed at reducing inflammation of the airways are called anti-inflammatories. .
             Taking anti-inflammatory daily for moderate to severe asthma is a relatively new approach to treating asthma. The idea behind it is that if the underlying inflammation of the airways is reduced, the bronchi may become less hyperreactive, making future attacks less likely. Such anti-inflammatory therapy, however, must be taken regularly in order to be effective. .
             Anti-inflammatory medications work mainly by interfering with the activity and chemistry of immune cells, which cause inflammation in the airway walls. Anti-inflammatory medications also help relax the airway muscles that constrict during bronchospasm. Corticosteroids reduce asthma symptoms by suppressing the immune response, and they often succeed when no other asthma treatment works. Over time they reduce the sensitivity of the airways to many common triggers. Long-term use of oral corticosteroids may have severe side effects, including weakening of the bones and the development of cataract, a clouding of the lens of the eye. Recent studies suggest that small doses of inhaled corticosteroids taken in combination with certain bronchodilators may work equally well while significantly reducing the side effects.


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