Controlling asthma is not just about using medication during an asthma attack, but more importantly, it is about controlling chronic inflammation in the airways with long-term medication when there are no episodes such as wheezing (remission). I. How to control asthma effectively? 1.You should visit a respiratory specialist at a hospital where you can, and establish a partnership with the doctor for future follow-up and consultation. 2.Notify symptoms and pulmonary function tests and other tests to objectively evaluate the severity of asthma. 3.Identify, avoid and control asthma triggers. 4.Establish an individualized (individualized) medication plan for long-term asthma treatment. 5.Develop a management plan for asthma attacks. 6.Visit the hospital regularly for check-ups and follow-up. 7.Participate in self-management education to help your child control his or her asthma. II. What medications are available to control asthma? Asthma is a chronic disease and it usually requires long-term medication. Drugs for asthma control are divided into two categories: 1. Fast-relief drugs, which can work quickly to relieve acute manifestations of airway constriction such as cough, shortness of breath, chest tightness, etc. These drugs include oral preparations such as albuterol tablets, Boliconi tablets, aminophylline tablets, corticosteroids, etc. There are also inhalation preparations such as Ventolin (Asthma Leptin) aerosol, and AsthmaConSky aerosol. These drugs are only used temporarily during acute attacks, which is equivalent to “treating the symptoms”. 2. Long-term preventive drugs, which can eliminate chronic inflammation in the airways and prevent asthma attacks, include inhaled corticosteroids such as bicuculline aerosol, co-codone aerosol, sulforaphane, promethazine, promethazine, cromolyn, long-acting β2 agonists, cisplatin, etc. These drugs need to be used regularly for a long time under the guidance of a doctor in order to achieve good results, which is equivalent to “treating the root cause”. The above drugs can be divided into systemic administration (oral or intravenous) and local administration (inhalation) according to the mode of administration. Inhalation medication can make the respiratory tract obtain a higher concentration of drugs locally, and the dose of medication is small, which not only improves the therapeutic effect, but also avoids or reduces the side effects of the system, so asthma patients should try to use local inhalation treatment. In order to relieve the symptoms of allergic rhinitis and asthma, anti-allergic drugs are often used in their treatment, and the following categories are commonly used: antihistamine agents, the first generation of drugs such as paracetamol, fenugreek, benadryl, etc., which are prone to side effects such as drowsiness; the second generation of drugs such as cetirizine, loratadine, etc.; other drugs such as ketotifen, leukotriene receptor antagonists (cisplatin) and corticosteroids Other drugs include ketotifen, leukotriene receptor antagonists (cisplatin) and corticosteroids. How to inhale the medication correctly? Inhalation is the best choice for both exacerbation and remission of asthma. Inhaled medication can only work if it reaches the small airways and lungs, so parents should know the correct way to inhale medication. The following devices and methods are currently used for inhalation: 1. Hand-press type quantitative inhalation aerosol connected to a fog storage tank (cartridge): suitable for all ages of children. Younger children use the mask, older children use the oral nozzle connected to one end of the storage tank (tube), the other end is connected to the quantitative inhalation aerosol. When the child breathes through the canister (tube), the aerosol cap is removed and shaken 3-4 times to release an inhaled dose of the drug into the canister (tube), and the child breathes slowly for 5-6 times. Commonly used drugs are aerosol aerosol, Bicodone aerosol, co-solvone aerosol and Pulmicort aerosol, etc. 2.Dry powder inhaler: there are Pulmicort, Sulidex, Symbicort, etc., which are suitable for children over four years old. When using according to the requirements of various devices first give an inhalation dose, then use the lips to hold the inhaler tightly, inhale slowly and deeply with the mouth and hold the breath for 5-10 seconds. 3.Nebulizer inhaler: The nebulized gas produced by the air compression pump is used for infants and children and patients with severe acute asthma attacks. Commonly used drugs are albuterol nebulizer and pramipexole, but special nebulizer inhaler is needed. 4.Hand-press type quantitative inhalation aerosol: requires certain skills, suitable for adults, such as for children should be connected to the fog storage tank (cartridge) (the same method as 1). When using, first take off the aerosol cap and shake it 3-4 times, exhale slowly and smoothly, put the aerosol outlet in the mouth or just in front of the mouth, and inhale slowly and as deeply as possible while pressing down to give the medicine. Hold your breath for 10 seconds and inhale. When inhaling drugs, if multiple doses need to be given, the two should be separated by about 3 minutes; if bronchodilator and prophylactic drugs are inhaled at the same time, the bronchodilator should be inhaled first and the two should be separated by about 5 minutes. To avoid residual inhaled drugs in the oropharynx, you should rinse your mouth and spit out after each inhalation. V. Will the use of inhaled corticosteroids affect the development of children? Corticosteroids are one of the most effective drugs for controlling asthma and need to be used for a long time. Many people know that long-term use of corticosteroids can cause systemic side effects, such as obesity, osteoporosis, decreased resistance and impaired growth and development. However, the long-term corticosteroids used in asthma are inhaled hormones, which are different from systemic hormones in molecular structure and mainly act on small airways and lungs, while the systemic effects are weak and generally do not cause side effects. In addition, the dose of corticosteroids is greatly reduced when inhaled drugs are administered, and even if a small amount of inhaled drugs remain in the oropharynx, they can be spit out through gargling or swallowed and metabolized and inactivated by the liver, so the amount of drugs that really enter the whole body is very small, and the long-term use of small doses of inhaled corticosteroids is safe as confirmed by decades of practice all over the world. VI. What is desensitization therapy? Desensitization therapy, currently called specific immunotherapy, involves repeated exposure to the allergen to which the patient is allergic through injections or other means, so that the patient’s tolerance to the allergen is increased and no allergy to the allergen is developed in the future. Allergens that are difficult to avoid in daily life, such as dust mites or pollen, are the main allergens targeted by desensitization treatment. Allergen determination must be performed prior to desensitization to identify the patient’s allergens. The course of desensitization treatment takes 2-4 years; and should be carried out in a hospital with certain conditions. According to statistics, the effectiveness of desensitization therapy in allergic rhinitis and asthma reaches 85-95%, with better results in children. At present, it is believed that desensitization treatment for specific allergens is the only way to change the allergic constitution. 7. Can Chinese medicine or prescriptions cure asthma? Chinese medicine or prescriptions have been used to treat asthma for thousands of years, and their effects cannot be denied, but they are not as effective as some advertisements suggest. Due to the lack of rigorous scientific experiments and observations, the treatment of asthma by Chinese medicine or prescriptions is still not recognized in the world. We suggest that asthma patients must take the currently recognized methods of standardized systematic treatment, if there are conditions to use Chinese medicine or prescriptions as a complementary treatment can also be. VIII. Will asthma disappear when the child grows up? Changes in asthma after a child grows up are difficult to predict. Some infants have recurrent wheezing episodes that may be related to acute viral respiratory infections, and these symptoms tend to disappear as they get older, but some children develop persistent asthma symptoms that may decrease or disappear by the time the child reaches adulthood, but may also persist. It is important to note that each asthma attack can be damaging to a child’s lung function, and if left untreated in general, the attacks will become more frequent and more severe. Therefore, if a child has asthma, he or she should actively go for treatment, the sooner the better.