I have severe asthma

My asthma has not been responding to treatment. Kindly let me know what to do.

Aishat (by SMS)

Severe asthma either does not respond to treatments and medications at all or is very difficult to treat. This lack of response to medications is known as therapy-resistant, or treatment-resistant, asthma. It may be because your asthma has become resistant to corticosteroids or other medications used to treat asthma.

A doctor might give a diagnosis of severe asthma if you: have needed treatment with high-dose inhaled steroids and a long-acting beta-agonist (LABA), or leukotriene modifier or theophylline in the past year, have needed systemic glucocorticoids for half a year or more to manage symptoms.

If your asthma is not responding to medications, talk with your doctor regarding diagnosing why it’s not responding and discussing alternative treatment options. The doctor will check to see if you have other conditions that may be mimicking asthma, such as angina and heart failure. The doctor will also examine you for complications of severe asthma, such as chronic infections and allergic bronchopulmonary aspergillosis. If you have severe asthma, your doctor will work with you to develop a treatment plan.

This may include medications and lifestyle changes, along with natural remedies. The following lifestyle measures may help with severe asthma symptoms: removing or avoiding suspected and known triggers such as any allergens or exposure to environmental irritants like chemicals whenever possible, staying physically active to help strengthen your lungs and general health, managing your weight with your doctor’s support if you have obesity; stopping smoking if you smoke and avoiding secondhand smoke as well as practicing meditation, yoga, and breathing exercises, which research suggests may help adults with asthma.

READ ALSO: Is there a cure for asthma?