Asthma Series : Episode 1 

Asthma treatment with Inhalers: useful or harmful?

“Doctor are you sure that I need inhalers for my problem?”Mrs. Desai snapped at me with her eyes wide open, as soon as I explained to her that she has asthma and needs inhaler medication.

I was not surprised at all. As a pulmonologist, I regularly see, examine and treat asthma patients at Green Lungs Clinic, Goregaon. Almost all are ready to take tablets but with inhalers, they are  very uncomfortable. 

Mrs. Desai was still staring at me with the same expressions when I kept three different types of inhalers on the table in front of her, to give a demonstration of the inhaler technique. 

When I started talking I realized that she was hardly listening to me. Again not surprised at all, I decided to have a good detailed discussion about inhalers with her.

Why Inhalers? Why not Tablets?

“Doctor, Why are you giving inhalers? Give me tablets.”

“Mrs. Desai, What does the doctor give you if you have conjunctivitis?”

“Eye drops.”

“And, if you have ear pain?”

“Ear drops”

“If you get an ankle sprain, do you apply some balm on it? Or go to buy painkillers?”

“Of course, I apply balm, doctor. Why use a cannon if you can kill with a gun?”, Mrs. Desai blurted in an irritated voice.

“Exactly. So, you always prefer locally acting medicines like drops and balm, instead of popping tablets. Same way, Inhalers act locally on your breathing tubes. When you experience asthma symptoms, breathing tubes are contracted and become narrow.  Inhaled medicines act on them and help them relax. This way they help relieve your symptoms.

They reach the problem area faster, hence give fast relief. They don’t have to go through the whole digestive system to get absorbed. Also, the dose of medicine needed is much less as compared to a tablet.”

Will I get addicted to inhalers used for asthma treatment?

“I will take your words for it, Doctor. But, will I get addicted to it?

“There is a difference between getting addicted to medicine and needing that medicine. For your condition, you NEED these inhalers. If a patient has blood pressure and he is started on medicines for it, his blood pressure comes under control; but he/she has to continue it to keep blood pressure under control. That does not mean that person is addicted. It just means that that person needs the medicine. Same way, you may need this medicine for a prolonged period. We will definitely stop it when u won’t need it.”

Can inhalers cure asthma?

“Ok Doctor, If you say so. But, will it be cured if I take inhalers?”

“Asthma is a health condition that can not be cured. It has so many factors involved,

• Genetic factors ( can be transferred from one generation to the next).

• Environmental ( Triggers which cause asthma symptoms).

• Occupational (workplace exposure to triggers).

Asthma is a reaction of the body to the triggers. When the reaction is more than needed, one can suffer from asthma. 

Why should I continue inhalers if I can not get rid of asthma permanently?

“If that is the case, Why should I continue inhalers if I can not get rid of asthma permanently? 

“Very Good question. 

A diabetic patient takes medicines to lower sugar. These medicines lower the sugar but cannot cure that patient’s Diabetes. Same thing is true with the treatment of blood pressure. Similar to this, asthma medicines are for asthma control and not for asthma cure. If you don't control asthma,it will worsen over a period of time, which becomes difficult to treat later.”

What are the side effects of inhalers in asthma treatment?

“Ok doctor understood the importance of inhalers, in asthma treatment; but are there any side effects which I should be aware of?” 

“If taken regularly, used properly and all instructions are followed,  the side effects are negligible. If you weigh benefits and side effects, benefits definitely take upper hand.

There are few Side Effects you should be aware of 

1. Sore throat 

2. Oral thrush or fungal infection in the throat.

3. Hoarseness of voice.

4. Very rarely, tremors and palpitations.

All these side effects are rare if inhalers are used with optimum doses and correct te

chnique. This can also be avoided by doing thorough gargle after taking your inhaler medication.

Conclusion 

Inhaler medicines are the mainstay of Asthma treatment. They act faster,  they reach the problem area faster with least Side Effects, if any. Inhaler is a better and more effective alternative to tablets or medications.  

keep reading our blog posts to know more about your asthma control.

Dr. Sandeep Tilve

Green Lungs Clinic

Asthma Series

Episode 2

Asthma Treatment: Diet in Asthma

Mrs. Desai’s health issues were improving. Her smiling face was confirming it. 

“Mrs Desai, you are looking fresh and in the pink of health. How is your asthma problem now? “

“Hello doctor, thanks to you. After you explained to me about the benefits of inhaler treatment (read our blog post), I have been taking Inhaler regularly. And my asthma is much better.”

I examined Mr Desai. Her lungs were sounding healthy. Wheezing was almost gone. She could breathe easily and obviously was able to talk effortlessly.

“Very good improvement, Mrs Desai.”

“Thanks doctor, but I want to ask you one query.”

“Of course. Open your query box and start.”

“Doctor, I will definitely use the inhaler as per your guidance and advice, but there must be an alternative treatment option for asthma isn't it?”

“I will not say alternative options. I would rather say that there are many things which when done along with inhalers would help you control your asthma better. 

We will discuss the Diet in Asthma today.”

Diet in asthma

“What you eat also affects your asthma and asthma control. Asthma is one type of allergic response of the body against an allergen. That's why we encourage our patients to have fresh and well cooked food. 

Any type of preservative, artificial sweeteners, artificial colours often act as foreign materials for our body. Our body considers them as an allergen and response to it. This  can lead to allergic reaction, including asthma attacks.

If you have any known allergy to any particular food material even if it's a skin allergy, it's better to stay away from it, for example nuts for shellfish. 

What type of Fruit and Vegetables can we eat? 

You can safely eat fresh ripe fruits like apples, bananas, oranges and green leafy vegetables like spinach, sweet potatoes. All these fresh fruits and vegetables are good for asthma and at the same time try to stay away from the unripe, raw fruits, gas forming vegetables like cabbage & beans. 

Can I eat non vegetarian food?

Yes, You can. White meat and fish like Salmon are good for asthma. But, try to stay away from shellfish, Shrimp, prawns & red meat which can aggravate your asthma.

Can I consume milk and Milk products? 

Of course. You can have fresh and low fat milk. Paneer is also good. Cheese can cause problems because of its manufacturing process involved, so better to avoid it. Also avoid high fat milk and Milk products.

What about oily / fried food?

It's better to avoid deep fried food by patients of Bronchial Asthma. WHile cooking oils with PUFA (polyUnsaturated Fatty Acids) should be preferred over medium chain fatty acids. Olive oil is found to be more useful than coconut or palm oil.

Do I need any health supplements?

No supplement can beat Good Healthy home food. In few patients whose food options are very limited due to allergy etc. I advise them on some supplements. Asthma patients are always benefited by Omega 3 fatty acids. If your diet is less due to some illness, protein supplements etc can be added in the form of powder. 

Use health supplements as supplements, not as a meal replacement. 

Conclusion

Diet plays an important role in triggering or controlling Asthma. Choose your food wisely. Eat Healthy, Stay Healthy!!

Along with diet, Lifestyle changes, Breathing exercises also help in Asthma Control.

Keep Reading our Blog Posts for more information.