Stepping Down Asthma Medications can be Done Safely With Guidance

A new study published in The Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology says that stepping down asthma medicines can be done safely and at less cost for patients.

Sometimes, patients and doctors test out if taking less daily asthma medicine is safe or not - mainly because of the high cost of the medicines. However, deciding when to step down daily asthma medications can be challenging.

Asthma - Factors, Common Allergens, Diagnosis, Treatment, Support Groups, FAQs
It's a lung condition characterized by inflammation of the bronchi and constriction of the airways that result in coughing, wheezing or breathlessness. Allergy and other airway irritants can trigger it

The study, led by Matthew Rank, M.D., an allergy and immunology specialist at Mayo Clinic in Arizona, examined the outcomes after patients stepped down their daily asthma medicines.

The study involved more than 4,000 patients who were taking daily asthma medicines. The research mainly focused on two groups: individuals who had stable asthma for one year who made no change in their daily asthma medication and individuals who had stable asthma for one year who stepped down their daily asthma medication.

Stepping down asthma medications in patients who have had stable asthma for at least one year is as safe as continuing the same level of medicines, the study found. About 11% of participants had issues with their asthma in the 4-5 months after stepping down their asthma medications.

"Trying to reduce the daily asthma medicine speaks to the principle of using the least amount of medicine to control symptoms and prevent attacks. This study is important because many people with asthma may be able to safely reduce their asthma medicines with the appropriate guidance from their healthcare teams. Many patients try to step down on their own but we encourage patients to work with their doctors before doing so," Dr. Rank said.

Tests for Asthma - Medical and Family History, Diagnosis & Treatment
Do you find it difficult to breathe especially during the cold weather? You may need to get tested for asthma, a respiratory condition that is induced by allergies.

Source-Medindia

Dyspnea / Shortness of Breath
Dyspnea or Shortness of Breath is a medical emergency and is a condition the leaves us breathless, literally! It is usually caused by a problem in the respiratory passage or in the heart.