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| Picture 25. Using an inhaler. |
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| What can medicines do to help? |
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There are two types of medicine used to reduce the symptoms of an asthma attack.
- One medicine reduces the inflammation and stops mucus production.
These medicines are called preventers. They help to make the airways less sensitive, reducing the risk of an asthma attack. One type of preventer is a medicine containing steroids called corticosteroids.
- One treatment widens the narrowed airways using medicines called bronchodilators. These medicines, called relievers, are short-acting and are used during an asthma attack. A measured dose of this medicine is inhaled directly into the lungs to give fast-acting relief.
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| Picture 26. Fright and flight! |
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| How were asthma treatments developed? |
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If you have already read the section Molecule to medicine you will have seen the various stages involved in finding new treatments. The first of these stages is to study the disease and try to design compounds which might prevent, treat or cure it.
In the search for asthma treatments, scientists started by looking at how the body works. Nature’s own bronchodilator, which keeps the airways open and which opens them more when needed, is adrenaline. Adrenal glands in the body release adrenaline when we are frightened or excited or need to act quickly. These situations are often called ‘fight, fright or flight’. |
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Adrenaline has been used to relieve asthma by opening the airways, but unfortunately it has other unwanted side effects. For example, it also stimulates the brain, makes the heart beat faster and increases blood pressure. In other words, adrenaline is not selective. Another disadvantage of adrenaline is that it is not active when taken by mouth. In fact, it is destroyed in the liver, so it only acts for a very short time.
Although it is not suitable as a regular asthma treatment, adrenaline provided a starting point for designing a better compound. You can find out more about its development on the next page. |
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