When most people hear the word “steroids,” they often associate it with muscle-bound bodybuilders or athletes striving for improved performance. While anabolic steroids have indeed made headlines in the world of sports and fitness, another type of steroid plays a crucial role in treating asthma: corticosteroids.
For individuals with asthma, a condition that affects the airways and breathing, steroids are a vital component of managing and controlling their symptoms. For people with asthma, this can mean a constant struggle to breathe, a fear of triggers that may set off an attack, and a reliance on medication to manage their condition. Asthma can range from mild to severe, and while there is no cure, proper management helps most people with asthma lead active lives.
Role of Corticosteroids in Asthma Treatment
Corticosteroids are a class of drugs that mimic the naturally occurring hormone cortisol, which has potent anti-inflammatory properties. In asthma treatment, corticosteroids are administered to reduce the inflammation in the airways characteristic of the condition. Corticosteroids help prevent asthma attacks and keep symptoms under control by reducing inflammation. They work by suppressing the immune system’s response, are overactive in asthmatics and cause inflammation and narrowing of the airways.
Types of corticosteroids for asthma
There are several types of corticosteroids used to treat asthma, and they can be administered through various methods, depending on the severity of the condition and the patient’s needs:
Inhaled Corticosteroids are the most common form of corticosteroid treatment for asthma. An inhaler delivers medications like beclomethasone, budesonide, and fluticasone directly to the airways. This allows for a direct impact on the site of inflammation, reducing the risk of side effects associated with other routes of administration. Inhaled steroids are used as a long-term control medication to prevent asthma attacks.
- Oral corticosteroids- Tablets, liquids, or syrups containing corticosteroids, such as prednisone or methylprednisolone, are used for short-term relief during severe asthma attacks or when inhaled steroids are insufficient. They provide a rapid response by reducing the inflammation and swelling in the airways, providing quick relief from symptoms.
- Intravenous (iv) corticosteroids- In some severe cases of asthma, where oral medications are ineffective, IV corticosteroids may be administered in a hospital setting to deliver a rapid, high drug dose directly into the bloodstream.
Steroids help people living with asthma
Corticosteroids provide numerous benefits for people living with asthma:
Reduced Inflammation: Corticosteroids’ primary action is to reduce inflammation in the airways, which is the root cause of asthma symptoms. By suppressing the immune response, they prevent the release of substances that cause the airways to swell and narrow.
- Improved Lung Function- Steroids help improve lung function by reducing inflammation and widening the airways. This makes it easier for air to move in and out of the lungs, resulting in easier breathing and improved exercise tolerance.
- Symptom control- Regular use of inhaled corticosteroids helps to control asthma symptoms, reducing the frequency and severity of asthma attacks and lessening the need for rescue inhalers.
- Prevention of asthma attacks: By keeping the airways clear and reducing sensitivity to triggers, steroids help prevent asthma attacks from occurring in the first place, which can be life-threatening in severe cases.
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