title: Treatment of asthma. New and time-tested strategies.
abstract: Early, aggressive therapy in conjunction with good communication with a knowledgeable, caring physician may reverse the trends of increasing morbidity and mortality from asthma. Allergen avoidance and immunotherapy are helpful in some patients. For those who need medication, bronchodilation with a beta 2-adrenergic drug, often in conjunction with an anticholinergic and theophylline, is the current treatment of choice for acute symptoms. For prophylaxis of chronic symptoms, sustained-release theophylline is still an excellent drug. However, an anti-inflammatory agent (eg, cromolyn sodium [Intal]) or, in some cases, an inhaled corticosteroid, may be an effective alternative. Whatever treatment is used, its success depends on effective self-management, which begins with education of the patient and family.
authors.affiliation: Department of pediatrics, University of California, Irvine.
authors.forename: S P
authors.initials: SP
authors.lastname: Galant
mesh_terms: D000893:Anti-Inflammatory Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D001249:Asthma / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000628:therapy*; D001993:Bronchodilator Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D003888:Desensitization, Immunologic; D006801:Humans; D013256:Steroids
chemical_list: D000893:Anti-Inflammatory Agents; D001993:Bronchodilator Agents; D013256:Steroids