does taking a puffer make asthma worse?

[merfy]

So i've never had asthma before, and now i supposedly have borderline asthma. I have to inhalers, fast reacting one and a steroid long term one. I dont want my asthma to get worse and i'm worried that if i take my inhalers it will make it worse. Because i dont see how taking drugs could make it better, when its like steroids and **** ive never even heard of.

[jerry3571]

I have heard salbutamol on it's own can make your asthma worse so if your asthma gets worse then you should up the longer lasting Corticosteroid. If you need the faster acting inhaler then take it but the Corticosteroid should be increased. Tree Pollen is coming out in the UK so my dose of Corticosteroid has increased as my breathing gets a bit more laboured.

[Resilient_Mimi]

Ok when a patient has asthma, they usually wheeze when breathing.  This is like wind whistling thru the window.  The opening isnt large enough to get a good breath.  A fast acting inhaler dilates the brochial airway so air can pass thru there easier.  Its like opening the window so more air can come thru.  Now, steriods that you inhale, are not normal steriods, they are called corticosteroids- they take down the swelling of the bronchial airway and mucus production, this is more of a medicine that keeps things under control. It has to be taken as directed.  It has to stay built up in your system to do you any good.  After time goes by, you wont have to use your fast acting inhaler as much, because the corticosteroids will be getting the job done.  Corticosteroids do not affect the liver. It is similar to cortisol, which is made by our own body.  Hope this helps, This will not make the disease this treats it..

[caregiver222]

Like everything else in life there are trade-offs.

In general the low-dose steroidal inhalers and the albuterol sulfate inhalers will not make your asthma worse. Low-dose steroids can make your lungs more susceptible to infection and ocasionally cause adrenal atrophy. These problems are more pronounced with oral steroids.

If you don't treat your asthma this puts a strain on the left heart, and over time can cause left heart enlargement, so it is best to keep asthma under control.

In addition an asthmatic attack can sometimes progress to the point where you will not be able to get enough oxygen to exist (sort of like falling off a cliff), and the progression must be stopped at an early stage. Simply because this has not happened in the past does not mean it might not happen in the future.

[Carly1306]

I also suffer from asthma and i am also on 2 inhalers...a steriod one and a fast reacting one. It is essential that you take them as directed....its not the type of steroid you would think it is. when you have asthma its because youre tubes are smaller than normal and so its harder for you to breathe normallly since theres not as much space for air to get through. The steroid inhaler helps to prevent these from getting any smaller, because exercise, pollution, smoking and passive smoking all make them smaller and harder for you to breathe. Trust me I stopped taking my steroid one and within a few months I would start to get out of breathe walking up hills and stuff, and thats me being totally fit and healthy. The fast acting one is great if you are doing exercise or something else that would get you out of breathe or weazy, and I carry it in my bag everywhere with me just incase...its also great if you get sick cos like myself and a lot of asthma sufferers, when you get a cold or flu etc...you get it worse than everyone else and it goes right to your chest making it harder than normal to breathe and giving you a cough etc. They wouldnt be prescribed to you unless the doctor thought they would help and you need them :)