Asthma treatment service
Asthma is a condition characterized by an overactive immune system in the bronchioles of the lungs. When the bronchiole lining becomes inflamed (as in asthma), the width of the tube narrows significantly. This results in asthmatic 'wheezes'. Inhalable steroid anti-inflammatory agents suppress this inflammatory process (also called preventer inhalers). Exposure to a cold or flu virus, or to cigarette smoke, for example, may trigger asthma.
How to choose your inhaler
- The blue inhalers (sometimes referred to as 'reliever' or 'rescue' inhalers) are universally accepted. This relaxes the muscle, reducing its impact on the tube. It takes between 10 and 15 minutes to work. However, the relief inhaler's effect lasts just 3 to 5 hours.
- The brown (or, on rare occasions, tan) inhalers contain steroid medication and are used to treat the inflamed bronchial lining. They are referred to as 'Preventer' inhalers.
- Unlike blue inhalers, steroids take many days, if not weeks, to take effect. In comparison to the reliever inhaler, they have a duration of days to weeks rather than three to five hours.
- Asthma may be effectively treated with modern inhalation therapies that have a little or no effect on your quality of life. To manage asthma effectively, you must use steroid inhalers.
- Because the inhaled doses used to control asthma are far lower, there are no significant long-term adverse effects.
Between 40 and 50 individuals die each year in Ireland as a result of acute asthma attacks. Take caution while using the BLUE inhaler. Increased use indicates that your asthma control is poor and that you may need to raise the dosage of your steroid inhalers. Even if you use the blue inhaler seldom (less than three times per week), you may need to add a course of steroids for several weeks to get your asthma under control.
Request Treatment
This service allows you to request a treatment from our doctors. You will be asked a series of questions related to the treatment, after which you will be asked to pay a fee of €20. To proceed, select the required dosage and click on "Start Consultation".