Asthma/COPD Treatment

Asthma is a chronic respiratory disease (long-term), that usually begins during childhood, and leads sufferers to have trouble breathing, as well as fits of coughing and wheezing. If you have Asthma, you’ll notice that certain things act as triggers, such as dust, pollutants, pollen, smoke, animal fur and exercise. The triggers for Asthma inflame the bronchioles (which are very sensitive) and bring on what’s known as an asthma attack; a sharp increase in the severity of symptoms.

The reason that Asthma sufferers have such difficulties breathing is because the condition constricts the airways to the lungs. The muscles tighten, the wall becomes inflamed and swollen, and there is an increased amount of phlegm, which all leads to a much smaller passage for air to enter and exit through, than that of a healthy person.

While we know what Asthma is and how it occurs, it’s not really known what causes the condition to develop in the first place. Some research suggests that you may be born with a predisposition that increases your risk of developing it, while other evidence suggests it could be hereditary or related to genetics.

Like Asthma, COPD (chronic obstructive pulmonary disease) is a disease that affects your ability to breathe, and emphysema and chronic bronchitis both fall under this umbrella term. Unlike Asthma, COPD is progressive rather than just chronic, which means it worsens over time, often due to lifestyle factors such as smoking.

The symptoms of the condition are the same as Asthma and are due to the same reasons; inflamed airways, excessive mucus and sometimes also damaged alveolar (air sacs in the lungs). We can trace the cause backwards more easily though, as it’s usually down to cigarette smoke in developed countries, and pollution in developing ones.

Asthma Inhaler / COPD Inhaler

The diseases can be quite different, but treatment is normally the same because the symptoms are too. You’ll find a range of medications to treat breathing problems at UK Meds, with clear-to-follow instructions regarding use of an inhaler (for those who’ve never used one before). The ideal treatment will mainly depend on the condition you are suffering from, as some medications are suitable for both, while others are tailored purely for either Asthma or COPD.

The inhalers usually contain bronchodilators (to open the airways) and corticosteroids (to reduce inflammation), but these will be in a variety of doses to treat varying severities. Treatment options also differ based on whether the inhaler is for long-term, ongoing treatment or to act as a rescue in the event of an attack of breathlessness.

As well as medication, you can also help yourself to manage your illness by being careful with your lifestyle choices. So quitting smoking will greatly improve your ability to breathe, and exercise should be done with caution.

There are a lot of different asthma treatments available which can be quite confusing - each treatment has it's own active ingredients, method of application and dosages. Take a look at the handy comparison table below to see a summary of the various asthma treatments available at UK Meds to give you a better understanding of each one:

Product Image	Asthma Treatment Name	Active Ingredients	Available doses	Form	Prescription Required
	Ventolin	Salbutamol	100mcg, 200mcg	Inhaler	Yes
	Salamol	Salbutamol Sulfate	100mcg	Inhaler	Yes
	Clenil Modulite	Beclometasone dipropionate	50mcg, 100mcg, 200mcg, 250mcg	Inhaler	Yes
	Montelukast	Montelukast Sodium	10mcg	Tablet	Yes
	Seretide	Salmeterol / Fluticasone propionate	50mcg, 100mcg, 125mg, 250mcg, 500mcg	Inhaler	Yes
	Atrovent	Ipratropium bromide	20mcg	Inhaler	Yes
	Fostair NEXThaler	Beclometasone dipropionate anhydrous / formoterol fumarate dihydrate	100/6mcg, 200/6mcg	Inhaler	Yes
	Carbocisteine	Carbocisteine	375mg	Capsules	Yes
	Relvar Ellipta	Fluticasone furoate / vilanterol	92/22mcg, 184/22mcg	Inhaler	Yes
	Qvar	Beclometasone Dipropionate	50mcg, 100mcg	Inhaler	Yes
	Symbicort Turbohaler	Budesonide / formoterol fumarate dihydrate	100/6mcg, 200/6mcg, 400/12mcg	Inhaler	Yes
	DuoResp Spiromax	Budesonide / formoterol fumarate dihydrate	160/4.5mcg, 320/9mcg	Inhaler	Yes
	Flutiform	Fluticasone propionate / formoterol fumarate dihydrate	125/5mcg, 250/10mcg	Inhaler	Yes
	Flixotide	Fluticasone propionate	50mcg, 100mcg, 250mcg	Inhaler	Yes
	Spiriva Respimat	Tiotropium	2.5mcg	Inhaler	Yes
	Bricanyl	Terbutaline Sulfate	500mcg	Inhaler	Yes
	Pulmicort Turbohaler	Budesonide	100mcg, 200mcg, 400mcg	Inhaler	Yes
	Sereflo	Salmeterol / Fluticasone propionate	25/125mcg, 25/250mcg	Inhaler	Yes
	Alvesco	Ciclesonide	80mcg, 160mcg	Inhaler	Yes
	Sirdupla	Salmeterol / Fluticasone propionate	25/125mcg, 25/250mcg	Inhaler	Yes
	Airomir Autohaler	Salbutamol Sulfate	100mcg/puff	Inhaler	Yes
	Spiolto Respimat	Tiotropium / Olodaterol	2.5/2.5mcg	Inhaler	Yes
	Kelhale	Beclometasone Dipropionate	50mcg, 100mcg	Inhaler	Yes
	Incurse Ellipta	Umeclidinium (Umeclidinium bromide)	55mcg	Inhaler	Yes
	Serevent	Salmeterol	25mcg Evohaler, 50mcg Accuhaler	Inhaler	Yes
	AirFluSal MDI	Salmeterol (as salmeterol xinafoate) / fluticasone propionate	25/125mcg, 25/250mcg	Inhaler	Yes
	Fostair Inhaler	Beclometasone dipropionate / formoterol fumarate dihydrate	100/6mcg, 200/6mcg	Inhaler	Yes
	Luforbec Inhaler	Beclometasone dipropionate / formoterol fumarate dihydrate	100/6mcg, 200/6mcg	Inhaler	Yes
	Striverdi Respimat	Tiotropium	2.5mcg	Inhaler	Yes
	Aerivio Spiromax	Salmeterol / fluticasone propionate	50/500mcg	Inhaler	Yes

• What Is An Asthma Attack?
• Why Would a Doctor Prescribe Ventolin?
• Ventolin Salbutamol and Inhalers
• What is Ventolin Used For?
• How to Use Ventolin Inhalers
• How to use a ventolin inhaler