For those with asthma in the family it is worth noting that clinical guidelines will be updated in coming months. They will emphasise the importance of using puffers with corticosteroids used in combination with relievers, as opposed to only using relievers.

It will be recommended that short-acting-beta-agonists (SABAs), or better known as blue puffers like Ventolin, cease to be used as quick relief in the treatment of mild asthma. Instead, all adults and adolescents be initiated on the combination therapy of budesonide-formoterol (brand name Symbicort – a red puffer).

Recent studies, and backed by the Global Initiative for Asthma (GINA) have shown that using this combination therapy both if used daily or as needed to relieve symptoms reduces the risk of severe exacerbations by between 1/2 and 2/3 compared with SABA-only (blue puffer) treatment. This because the SABAs only open up the airways, they do not deal with the underlying pathology – the inflammation.

Read full article on: medicalrepublic.com.au

Dr Lachlan Soper