Treatment
Making a correct diagnosis is essential for treatment , and improving access to spirometry will help to reduce misdiagnosis . Asthma is generally a lifelong disease that is not curable , but treatment with quality-assured essential asthma medicines can effectively control the disease . Inhaled corticosteroids are the cornerstone of effective asthma control . When used appropriately , that is , taken regularly with correct technique and a spacer or other device to assure inhalation , these medicines can decrease the severity and frequency of symptoms of asthma . They also reduce the need for reliever inhalers ( rapidacting bronchodilators ) and the frequency of severe episodes (“ exacerbations ”) requiring urgent medical care , emergency room visits , hospitalisations and death . Inhaled bronchodilators are important for providing quick relief from asthma symptoms .
Unfortunately , many people suffering from asthma do not have access to effective quality-assured asthma medicines . Even though inhaled corticosteroids and inhaled bronchodilators are on the essential drug list of the World Health Organization ( WHO ), they are either unavailable or unaffordable in many settings [ 4 , 26 ].
Lack of availability of medicines is not the only reason people with asthma do not receive effective care . Widespread misconceptions about the nature of the disease and its treatment often prevent people from using appropriate treatments . Educational campaigns to encourage regular use of inhaled corticosteroids for control , avoidance of exposures that trigger asthma attacks and provision of written asthma action plans , so that the patient can respond to worsening asthma , are important parts of effective asthma control programmes .
Control and elimination
Additional research is needed to better understand the earliest origins of asthma , the causes of exacerbations and reasons for its rising prevalence in many countries [ 5 ]. Elimination is a distant vision . The International Study of Asthma and Allergies in Childhood ( ISAAC ) has provided insights into the disease and facilitated standardised research on asthma in children that has helped to define the prevalence , trends and determinants of asthma and allergies worldwide . This work and other research findings are being incorporated into evidencebased strategies for the management of asthma . Dissemination and implementation of these strategies will improve asthma control . Making quality-assured inhaled corticosteroids , bronchodilators and spacer devices widely available at an affordable price , and educating people with asthma about the disease and its management are key steps to improve outcomes for people with asthma . Strategies to reduce indoor air pollution , smoke exposure and respiratory infections will improve asthma control and reduce the need for healthcare utilisation .
Forum of International Respiratory Societies 15