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4Votes
answered Sep 10, 2009 at 07:19AMThe textbook answer is that there is no "cure" for asthma. I'll define cure as a short-term therapy that results in the disease resolving.
However, there is one medication that has been shown to be "disease modifying" and, as such, is the cornerstone of asthma treatment. Disease modifying means that, with continued use, the treatment can prevent death, loss of lung function, restore normal lung function, and prevent attacks. That medication is corticosteroids, in particular, inhaled corticosteroids.
The only other life-saving medication is the short-acting beta agonist (albuterol). This category can save your life in the event of an attack.
The other asthma medications help with preventing attacks and improving symptoms. These are important goals of therapy. These other medications include beta-agonists, LTRA's, LTSM's, anticholinergics, IgE inhibitors, phosphodiesterase inhibitors, and mast cell stabilizers.
I submit that every attack of asthma does NOT specifically incrementally worsen lung function; this does occur with COPD. -
3Votes
answered Sep 10, 2009 at 08:23AMI would like to respectfully add, that while each exacerbation might not incrementally worsen lung function, chronic inflammation of the airways, if not treated early on, certainly does lead to worsening lung function.....sometimes permanently. I am living proof. -
2Votes
answered Feb 16, 2010 at 04:24AMThere is no cure for asthma. Asthma is a multifaceted chronic disease of the lung's airways which is often genetically predetermined. Medications may stabilize and prevent progression of the disease but do not cure asthma. Studies have shown that asthma tends to relapse when medications are stopped. Asthmatics have underlying allergic and non-allergic triggers. Avoidance or removal of triggers may lead to remission of the disease. If allergic, subcutaneous allergen immunotherapy which reduces the allergic immune response to specific allergic triggers may lead to remission and reduction of medications. The combination of all three treatment modalities: avoidance, medications, and subcutaneous immunotherapy offers the best hope for remission of symptoms, but not cure. -
0VotesTo add one point to the excellent expert feedback above, you might want to check out this page of the non-profit Canadian Asthma Prevention Institute (CAPI), on the connections between magnesium and asthma.
http://www.asthmaworld.org/asthma-magnesium.htm
Other nutritional factors are explored on this page sponsored by CAPI:
http://www.asthmaworld.org/ -
2Votes
answered Feb 24, 2010 at 12:00PM0
VotesEugenia Malyshev CBE110
answered 5s agodelete answer
While there is no curative medicine, an excellent long term asthma control can be achieved through a combination of steroid based drug therapy and the Buteyko Method (a breathing retraining therapy). Depending on the severity of asthma and the individual health history, as long as the Buteyko therapy is practiced for a number of weeks, the symptoms subside significantly, and reliever drugs (SABA and LABA) can be greatly reduced. It is a very desirable outcome for one more reason - LABA drugs are continuously over-evaluated by the FDA for increasing safety warnings as they are known for life-threatening risk that asthma could worsen suddenly. http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/35463947/ns/health-allergies_and_asthma/
Summarizing four of the Buteyko therapy clinical trials, the average reduction in symptoms and beta-agonists use after 12 weeks was 87% , the average reduction in steroid-based preventer use was 45%. http://www.asthmacare.us/MedicalTrials.html
From the collective experience of Butyeko Practitioners worldwide (including my own)-
With continuous Buteyko practice in many cases medication could be reduced further, and asthma would go into remission. Besides that, there is a noticeable reduction in allergic reaction to triggers and a significant decrease in upper respiratory and lung infections. All that, in turn, further prevents asthma exacerbations. Another benefit is that asthma patients practicing Buteyko are able to control and prevent exercise induced asthma. By being able to exercise more they strengthen their immune system to further reduce asthma symptoms and to improve overall health. More Buteyko therapy facts are in my earlier posts under the question "Is the Buteyko method a reliable treatment for asthma?"
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