America's Allergist — asthma therapy

  Five percent of asthma patients have severe asthma. Some severe asthmatics do not have control even with triple therapy. These patients used to have to take oral steroids or prednisone on a daily basis. Now there is a therapy that can give excellent control and negate the need for oral steroids, end the need for oral steroids or reduce the dose of oral steroids that patients need.  This medication, Xolair or omalizumab, not only helps with asthma but also with allergic rhinitis. There are minimal to no side effects, but it must be given in a physician's office. Once...

The third line of asthma therapy, after inhaled steroids and long acting beta-agonists (bronchodilators) are the leukotriene antagonists. They are non steroid anti-inflammatory medicines that help inflammed lung tubes in asthma. They are good on on agents for asthma. It is rare that they should be used alone in asthma. That is because they only help some of the asthma inflammation. You can feel better on them but inhaled corticocosteroids the primary therapy for asthma. They are very safe and have few side effects. Leukotriene antagonists also help with allergic rhinitis, so they help treat the upper and lower airways....