Allergic asthma is becoming an increasing problem for many people, especially with city life, and its frequency is a health problem that is increasing day by day. The most important problem for patients who have been examined by allergy specialists and diagnosed with allergic asthma is how to treat them. Allergic asthma treatment should not be done by allergy specialists. In this article, we will try to answer the question of how the treatment should be done after the diagnosis of allergic asthma.

Accurate Diagnosis is Important in Allergic Asthma Treatment

The importance of performing the tests for the diagnosis of allergic asthma by allergy physicians is very important, especially in terms of determining how the treatment will be done. For the treatment of allergic asthma, the correct diagnosis must first be made. It is important to correctly perform and interpret the tests for allergic asthma in order to make a correct diagnosis. Patients who are mistakenly diagnosed with allergic asthma may have to use asthma medications for many years for nothing. Apart from this, if the diagnosis of allergic asthma cannot be made, the diagnosis of allergic asthma may be missed. This situation may cause you to have to go to the emergency department of the hospital because of shortness of breath due to frequent illness and may cause unnecessary antibiotic use. These reasons are very important for the correct diagnosis of allergic asthma.

Treatment of allergic asthma in adults consists of many steps.

As with all allergic diseases, the treatment of allergic asthma first starts with prevention. Afterwards, it has five steps: drug therapy, allergy vaccination, complementary therapy and education.

Prevention Therapy in Allergic Asthma Treatment

Prevention in the treatment of allergic asthma is the treatment of prevention against the factors that cause and trigger allergic asthma. Prevention therapy can be in the form of avoiding allergens and avoiding triggers as much as possible. It is very important for the patient to comply with the prevention methods from the causes that cause the development of allergic asthma. Protection from allergens that cause allergies also affects the drug treatments and treatment methods that we will apply in the future.

Protection from Allergens

Protection from allergens is very important especially for allergic diseases. If the allergen that causes allergic asthma can be detected, protection from allergens that cause allergic asthma comes to the fore. For example, if there is an allergy to house dust mites, protection measures should be taken against mites living in items that take up a lot of space in our lives. If there is an allergy to pollens, precautions should be taken to protect against pollen, especially in the periods when pollen calendars and pollen counts are higher abroad. If there is an allergy to animal hairs such as cats and dogs, precautions should be taken to protect against animal hair. For those who are exposed to allergens professionally, it is important to take precautions against these allergens in the workplace. Vaccine therapy (immunotherapy) is the most important treatment option for allergens that we cannot avoid despite taking precautions.

Avoiding from Triggers

One of the most important triggers for the emergence of allergic asthma attacks is influenza epidemics, which are recurrent viral infections that are more common in winter seasons. The most important protection against triggers is protection against the flu. To protect against the flu, it may be recommended to get the flu vaccine in September, which is before the flu season. People with allergic asthma are very sensitive to smells. It will be beneficial to avoid strong-smelling perfumes due to excessive bronchial hyperreactivity or hypersensitivity that develops over time in asthma, cleaning with non-perfumed detergents and choosing odorless cleaning materials.

Smoking is one of the most important problems and triggers for all asthmatic patients. Smoking contains many harmful substances that directly affect all airways. Permanent and sustained airway damage occurs in both chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (chronic bronchitis + emphysema) and smoking-related lung diseases such as asthma.

Smoking can trigger acute asthma attacks in patients with asthma; In addition, there is a very close relationship between asthma and exposure to cigarettes. Even exposure to cigarettes in childhood poses a great risk for asthma in the future. Our recent knowledge indicates that active smoking is an important risk factor for the onset of asthma in adults.

Since the complaint of chronic cough in adult patients may be associated with many diseases, systemic examination should be performed. Reflux, which is one of the causes of chronic cough, is also a triggering factor and reflux treatment is recommended in patients with reflux symptoms.

Treatment of allergic rhinitis or hay fever, which is very common with allergic asthma, should be given together. As long as the nasal congestion of the patient with nasal congestion due to allergic rhinitis is not relieved, mouth breathing, which is the easiest way for all allergens, begins and the allergens reach directly into the lungs. Allergic asthma of patients whose allergic rhinitis is not treated cannot be cured. If there is eczema, giving eczema treatment increases the success of allergic asthma treatment.

Is It Important to Avoid Triggers of Allergic Asthma in Adults?

Especially obesity contributes to the development of allergic asthma. Because fat cells in obese people release some substances that cause asthma. For this reason, it will be beneficial for those with obesity to lose weight and avoid obesity. Eating fast food, in particular, can trigger asthma attacks.

Air pollution is one of the biggest problems brought by city life. Especially during periods of intense air pollution, it is necessary not to stay outside for long. In addition, not opening the windows during periods of intense air pollution may prevent the polluted air from entering the room. If necessary, air filter devices can be used to clean the air in the room.

There is a definite relationship between smoking and the development of allergic sensitization and future asthma. For these reasons, we should direct them to quit smoking with or without allergic asthma and ensure that they are protected from passive smoking.

How is the drug therapy in the treatment of allergic asthma in adults?

In the treatment of allergic asthma, there are two types of drug therapy: relaxing and curative.

Reliever Drug Therapy in the Treatment of Allergic Asthma

The most important complaint in patients with allergic asthma is shortness of breath, so it is necessary to relieve shortness of breath as soon as possible. In the treatment of allergic asthma, in the treatment of relaxing drugs, drugs provide relief in cough and breathing difficulties by expanding the bronchi. It is used for 1-2 weeks only during periods of cough, wheezing and shortness of breath. When used alone, it can only eliminate complaints, but it does not cure allergic asthma.

Asthma Treatment in Adults Remedial Therapy

The most important drugs required for the treatment of allergic asthma are curative treatments that are controllable. There are medications with and without cortisone. These treatments are used to correct damage to the lungs caused by allergic asthma. They are often used in combination with relievers, long-term depending on the condition of asthma. Medications that are undesirable to be used by patients because they contain cortisone are actually very small amounts of cortisone and their doses should be adjusted as doses that do not harm the patient. If cortisone-containing drugs are given appropriately, the feared cortisone will not do any harm.

Is Allergy Vaccine Treatment Necessary in the Treatment of Allergic Asthma in Adults?

In the treatment of allergic asthma, allergy vaccination is an effective treatment in adult patients as well as in children. It is very important to stay away from allergens that cause complaints in allergic asthma disease. If some allergens such as cats, dogs and latex are avoided, the complaints are controlled. It is not possible to cut off contact with the much more common house dust or pollen. In this case, it develops tolerance in our body against these allergens and similarly ensures that the complaints are taken under control. In other words, it is provided with vaccine treatment (immunotherapy) by giving more allergen control to our body under the control of allergy physicians. Allergy vaccines are of two types, sublingual and subcutaneous injection vaccines. There are 3 types of sublingual vaccine as drop, spray and tablet vaccine. Unfortunately, sublingual spray and drop vaccines are no longer produced. Subcutaneous injections are also a more effective treatment method. Allergy vaccines train the body against allergies, which is the cause of allergic asthma, and increase immunity and prevent damage to the bronchi. With allergy vaccines, allergic asthma can be controlled, and it can also be completely eliminated after treatment. Allergy vaccines reduce or even eliminate the need for medication once started. Allergy vaccines do not contain cortisone and hormones, only allergens.

Vaccine therapy (Immunotherapy) is the only treatment method that changes the natural course of allergic diseases. Therefore, immunotherapy should be started early. Immunotherapy should be a treatment option applied in addition to drug therapy in the early stages of the disease, not as a last resort treatment option.

Complementary Therapy in Allergic Asthma Treatment

Complementary therapy in the treatment of allergic asthma is called complementary therapy, drug therapy and allergy vaccination, as well as supportive therapy given. Many methods have been applied, but no scientifically significant benefit has been found. Especially in complementary treatments such as acupuncture, bioresinance and homeopathy, scientific results have not been found to be very beneficial. Herbal treatment methods can be tried, but it should not be forgotten that some herbs can do more harm than treatment.

Education in Allergic Asthma Treatment

The most important problem after the diagnosis of allergic asthma is treatment, because the treatments applied for the treatment of asthma can continue for many years. Therefore, education is very important in the treatment of allergic asthma. It is very important to provide education on how to use the drugs used especially for asthma and to use the drugs correctly. Otherwise, misuse of drugs will result in treatment failure. In addition, when asthma treatment is considered as a whole, it is important to provide education to patients with allergic asthma in prevention treatment, drug treatment and especially in vaccine treatment that can last 3-5 years.

As a result;

  • Correct diagnosis is important for the treatment of allergic asthma.
  • Allergic asthma treatment should be evaluated as a whole and all the steps in the treatment; Prevention therapy, drug therapy, allergy vaccination, complementary therapy and education should be done together.
  • The success of the allergy vaccine, which is administered under the control of allergy specialists, is pleasing.
  • Education on how to use drugs in the treatment of allergic asthma is very important.