Science has made great progress in recent years. Indeed, the way asthma is treated today differs greatly from only a short time ago.

In the past, doctors tended to treat symptoms and attacks only as they happened. Today, the focus is also on prevention — stopping attacks before they begin. With this in mind, the approach is to treat the underlying cause of the asthma, specifically to reduce the exposure to triggers and to reduce the inflammation with anti-inflammatory medication.

There are two main groups of asthma medications:

• Anti-inflammatories to control the persistent inflammation in the airways. They help prevent chronic symptoms and flare-ups.
• Bronchodilators to relax the muscles surrounding the bronchial tubes, thus helping to open them.

Q

Can asthma be cured?

A

No cure has yet been found. But it can be treated and controlled. Some patients may be able to avoid being bothered by their asthma simply by avoiding the cause (for example, known allergy or trigger at work). By seeing your doctor regularly and taking your
medication(s) exactly as prescribed, you should be able to live a normal life mostly free of symptoms and flare-ups.

Q

Will your asthma always be the same?

A

Asthma tends to vary among people and over time. For instance, a child’s asthma can disappear for a few years, and may or may not come back later in the adult life.