Inhalers and Beyond: Exploring Modern Treatments and Management Techniques for Asthma

Asthma, a chronic breathing problem, affects many people globally, including a significant number in Kolkata. Every year, more people in the city are diagnosed with asthma, which is worrying for respiratory physicians. Recent research found that Kolkata has the highest number of asthma cases, especially among children aged 13-14, compared to other big cities in India. [1] The reasons for this increase are multiple, including things like pollution, genetics, and changes in lifestyle.

Asthma causes the airways in the lungs to become inflamed and narrow, leading to symptoms like wheezing, shortness of breath, tightness in the chest, and coughing. Triggers for asthma can be different for everyone, ranging from things like pollen, dust and infections to pollutants in the air and also stress and anxiety. Because asthma affects people in different ways, there isn't one simple solution for treatment. It requires a variety of approaches to manage it effectively.

Inhalers have long been and still is the mainstay of treating asthma. They deliver the drug straight to the lungs, giving quick relief during attacks and helping to control symptoms over time by reducing the inflammation within the lungs. But there are other treatments available beyond inhalers that can help manage asthma too.

Oral medications are only supplementary to the inhaler therapy. Mostly antiallergics, mucolytics reduce inflammation in the airways and prevent asthma symptoms. 

Biologic therapies are coming up big way for the tailormade treatment of asthma. They target specific parts of the body's inflammatory response, offering personalized treatment for severe asthma that doesn't respond to regular treatments. Biologic therapies can effectively control symptoms and improve quality of life in hither to uncontrolled asthma patients.

For people with allergic asthma, allergen immunotherapy can help manage symptoms in the long term. This treatment gradually exposes the body to small amounts of allergens, making it less sensitive to them over time. While it takes time to work, allergen immunotherapy can provide lasting relief for people with asthma triggered by allergies.

Aside from medicine, there are other things people can do to manage asthma. Breathing exercises and techniques to clear the airways can improve lung function and ease symptoms. Lifestyle changes like keeping a healthy weight, avoiding asthma triggers, and finding ways to manage stress are also important for managing asthma effectively. A very important fact one needs to know is that house dust is more significant than outdoor dust in causing allergy. This is because of the presence of dust mites. Dust mites survive more in-house dust and our asthma/ atopic patients are actually allergic to the house dust mite and not the dust itself. Therefore, keeping your home/ office environment dust free is very important in your asthma management.