Get Informed: Asthma
Asthma: Overview
Asthma is a disease of the lungs in which the airways become temporarily blocked or narrowed. Asthma can be triggered by irritants such as pollen and smoke that are breathed into the lungs, resulting in inflamed, clogged and constricted airways. Symptoms include difficulty breathing, wheezing, coughing and chest tightness. In severe cases, asthma can be life threatening.
- Last Text Update:
- 2009-Nov-05 4:19 PM
- Last Data Update:
- 2009-Oct-02 9:51 PM
1 in 20 Americans have Asthma
iGuard is currently monitoring more than 87,309 patients with Asthma from around the United States as shown on the heat map below. These figures suggest that roughly 15.1 million Americans have Asthma with women being 4 times more likely to be affected than men.
< 21
21-39
40-59
60+
Age (Years)
Medications used for Asthma
Drugs commonly taken by iGuard.org users for Asthma are listed below, together with the percentage of patients that take each drug.
|
Commonly Used Medication Name* (Hover mouse over name to see medication class) |
% of Patients | Average Risk Rating | Has Generic Available |
|---|---|---|---|
| Zyrtec | 16% |
|
Yes |
| Prilosec | 15% |
|
Yes |
| Omega 3 | 11% |
|
Yes |
| Singulair | 10% |
|
No |
| Xanax | 9% |
|
Yes |
| Proair HFA | 9% |
|
Yes |
| Advair | 7% |
|
No |
| Allegra | 7% |
|
Yes |
Less than 5%: Clarinex, Flonase, Flovent, Mucinex, Prednisone, Spiriva, Vistaril
*This list is NOT EXHAUSTIVE - Only drugs used by a sufficiently large number of iGuard.org users are listed.
**Medications are sometimes known by different brand/generic names, depending upon how they are packaged or used.
Global Patient Feedback for Asthma ( Post a comment )
Question/Comment:
I used Advair for about 3 years, last one was 500/50. I started having terrible voice problems. My pulmo doc thought it was thrush, but it wasn't. Had to stop using Advair. It messed with my voice terribly. Doc switched me to Foradil (along with Spiriva and Xopenex which I was alredy using). My breathing started getting terrible. I would gasp for air for 20 minutes after climbing some stairs. My doc kept having me increase prednisone off and on all summer of 2008. I finally read a article on Foradil and it said the inhaler could make you gasp for air. Boy, did the light bulb ever come on. I quit Foradil and the horrible breathing problems ended all most over night. I'm now using Asmanex which works very well.
69 year old Female
Posted: 2009-09-26 12:03:06
Question/Comment:
Used advair for years, did little to alleviate asthma. Switched to Singulair, and have been breathing better ever since.
47 year old Female
Posted: 2009-09-21 16:02:36
Question/Comment:
I took Advair 250/50 for about 6 years and developed Glaucoma from it. I reduced to the 100/50 but it does not always work well and I have to take Proventil to supplement it. Now I take Serevent at night (which works fine) and the 100/50 Advair in the morning. If I need help still with breathing, then I take a puff of Proventil. It gets me through the day. I am a 82 year old female and have had Asthma since my thirties.
83 year old Female
Posted: 2009-09-03 10:36:30
Question/Comment:
I took Advair 250/50 for about 6 years and developed Glaucoma from it. I reduced to the 100/50 but it does not always work well and I have to take Proventil to supplement it. Now I take Serevent at night (which works fine) and the 100/50 Advair in the morning. If I need help still with breathing, then I take a puff of Proventil. It gets me through the day.
83 year old Female
Posted: 2009-09-03 10:34:25
Question/Comment:
I have suffer severe asthma since childhood , been intubated 4 times , last in 1995 ,many hospitalizations , but ever since i was prescribed the advair disc 500/50 i have been doing much better my asthma has been pretty control.It might not be good for everyone but speaking to your dr. can really help alot ,they know whats better for us.
47 year old female.
47 year old Female
Posted: 2009-07-30 09:47:12
Answer/Reply:
I was on advair for 3 years and it just made my asthma worse. I thought my asthma was getting worse, but we finally figured out it was the advair causing. He switched me to flovent 2 puffs 2x per day and I have never felt healthier. I have not had to use my rescue inhaler since then.
39 year old Female
Posted: 2009-08-24 18:14:00
Answer/Reply:
One important thing with Advair is to rinse your mouth and throat after using it or you will get hoarse and have trouble swallowing. Other than this little thing Advair is wonderful! I was on Spiriva but had to stop it due to severe hives.
56 year old Female
Posted: 2009-08-27 18:18:31
You may post comments for the benefit of other patients or post questions other patients might be able to answer. Comments are submitted for possible publication on the condition that they may be edited. Only your age and gender will be published with your comment, although your other user details will be securely recorded for verification purposes.
Comments may be either questions or answers to previously posted questions. Any iGuard.org user may post questions and reply.
7
Patient Comments about
Asthma