Asthma is a chronic disease of the lungs in which the airways of the lungs are affected. There are several ways through which asthma can be brought under check. Here are some treatment options for asthma.

1. Medications
Medications are a common treatment option for asthma. When prescribing medicines, a doctor would take into consideration certain factors such as one’s age, the probable triggers, and the symptoms. Only after that will they prescribe appropriate medicines. Medications are generally prescribed for the long term and help open swollen airways, which cause hindrance in breathing.
Some of these medications include:

• Combination inhalers
  Some combination inhalers include budesonide-formoterol, fluticasone-salmeterol, formoterol-mometasone, and fluticasone furoate-vilanterol.
• Theophylline
  This pill is usually prescribed for daily use. It helps relax the muscles around the airways, because of which it becomes easier to breathe. Although not often used, the doctor may prescribe Theophylline after blood tests.

2. Inhalers
Inhalers, which are also known as puffers, are of two kinds: dry powder inhalers (DPIs) and metered dose inhalers (MDIs).
While DPIs use special inhalers to deliver the medicine in the form of a dry powder, MDIs deliver a short burst of medicine with the help of an aerosol canister, which is inserted into a mouthpiece made out of plastic.

3. Bronchial thermoplasty
In most cases, medicines and lifestyle changes are sufficient to keep asthma in check. However, in case of an emergency, when the disease has reached a more severe stage, bronchial thermoplasty may be used as one of the treatment options for asthma.
Bronchial thermoplasty is brought into action when asthma does not come under control even after the long-term usage of corticosteroids and the consumption of medications. In this method, the insides of the airways are heated with the help of an electrode. It helps in the reduction of smooth muscles present inside the airways, and their ability to constrict fails. As a result, breathing becomes easier, and asthma attacks are reduced. Generally, bronchial thermoplasty requires at least three visits without the need for hospitalization.

4. Immunotherapy
This treatment is given through allergy shots, which are initially delivered once a week over a period of a few months. After that, these allergy shots are delivered once a month over a minimum duration of three years and a maximum tenure of five years. The concept behind immunotherapy is that the immune system can be desensitized to certain allergens, which can lead to an asthma attack. The allergy shots help in reducing the immune system’s allergic reaction to these triggers.

Asthma cannot be cured. However, this does not mean that one should stop living their life to the fullest. It is a treatable medical condition and can be easily brought in check with effective treatment options.