Ventolin Treatment

What is Ventolin?

Ventolin is a blue asthma inhaler used for the immediate relief of an asthma attack It is fast acting and relaxes the airways within minutes, making it easier to breathe and alleviating the asthma attack.

Ventolin works on the nervous system, mimicking the effects of adrenaline on the receptors of the airway muscles. This relaxes the muscles, dilates them and lets air pass a lot easier, relieving asthma immediately.

Ventolin is not a cure for asthma but is a treatment for the symptoms of asthma and will reduce the frequency of attacks.

What is Asthma?

Asthma is a chronic inflammatory disorder that affects airways and causes cough, chest tightness, breathlessness and wheezing. Asthma takes the form of recurrent episodes especially at night or early in the morning.

How do you take Ventolin?

Ventolin is an inhaler device. The active drug Salbutamol is released from the inhaler as the patient presses the device and sucks into the mouthpiece. It will take practice to get the technique right, but once you can appreciate the coordination behind it, using your inhaler will become second nature. This is a guide on the steps required to get the most out of using your blue inhaler:

Guide to taking 1 puff

1. Shake the inhaler well and remove the cap before use
2. Take a Normal breath and completely breath out
3. Place your lips over the mouthpiece and seal to ensure it is airtight
4. Begin by slowly taking a deep breath in whilst pressing down the canister button at the top of the inhaler – as you feel the drug being released continue to breathe in as deep as you can.
5. Hold your breath for 10 seconds to ensure the drug can make its way to your lungs.
6. Exhale slowly 

• If a mother has asthma, will her baby get asthma?

  It is not a rule. However, the baby is more likely to have asthma.

  All that the mother can do is keeping her child away from any smoking areas, since smoking puts the baby at higher risk to develop asthma.

  The most important advice for any pregnant woman is “DO NOT SMOKE”.

• Does asthma go away?

  Asthma is a chronic condition. Nevertheless, if you stick well to your asthma action plan, you will live a high quality life away from annoying symptoms, as long as you keep yourself away from triggers.

• What should I do if I experience an asthma attack?

  Try to keep calm. Take one puff from your quick-reliever inhaler (Ventolin or Salbutamol for example). You can take up to 10 puffs over 10 minutes. If you do not feel better, call the ambulance.

• Do asthma inhalers like Ventolin or Salbutamol have side effects?

  There are mild side effects for the inhalers like increased heart rate or feeling shaky after inhalation. However, these side effects last only for a few minutes and not everyone will experience them.

• Can I exercise with asthma?

  If you are controlling your asthma well, then you can exercise safely.

Causes of asthma

Unfortunately, the exact cause of asthma is still unknown. Many factors may contribute to the occurrence of asthma often early in life. These factors include genetic factors (an inherited tendency to develop allergies), respiratory infections during childhood and contact with airborne allergens or exposure to viral infection in early childhood while the immune system is developing. 

Mechanism of Asthma

Upon exposure to asthma triggers, the airways become inflamed, narrow, and filled with mucus. Once an asthma attack begins, spam of muscles around those narrow inflamed airways occurs, causing difficulty in breathing, chest tightness and other asthma symptoms.

Triggers of Asthma

If you are diagnosed with asthma, you have to know asthma triggers to avoid them as much as you can to enjoy a high-quality life. It is important to know that triggers are different from one person to another. Every asthmatic patient should be aware of triggers that cause asthma attack to him to avoid.

The most common asthma triggers are:

• Tobacco smoke.
• Dust mites(tiny bugs that are present in most homes).
• Outdoor air pollution due to cars and factories.
• Furry pets.
• Smoke from burning wood or grass.
• High humidity in weather.
• Some foods or medicines.
• Physical exercises (This is known as Exercise-induced Bronchospasm, and controlled effectively by some inhalers like Ventolin or Salbutamol).
• For some people, strong emotions may fasten breathing causing hyperventilation that can also cause an asthma attack.
• Acid reflux can trigger an attack.
• Breathing in mould may trigger an asthma attack.
• Fragrances can also trigger an asthma attack.

Side effects of Ventolin

• Muscle tremor (shaking hands)
• Increased heart rate or palpitations
• Ventolin mimics Adrenaline in the lungs, so its side effects are that similar to when we feel an adrenaline rush:
• Anxiety

The side effects are not severe, and most people do not even feel them, please do not hesitate to take your Ventolin as the result of an asthma attack could be fatal if not treated.