| Pollen, mold, animal dander, chemicals, odors, can all | | | | suffering from COPD. Taken over a long time, this |
| trigger an allergic reaction in asthmatics, or people who | | | | medication can actually help asthma patients to build-up |
| are afflicted by a chronic obstructive pulmonary | | | | resistance to allergens, but the medicine must be taken |
| disease, including bronchitis and emphysema. The | | | | only as indicated, and inhaled twice daily. |
| reaction to these "triggers" is enough to cause | | | | When you meet the pulmonologist/pediatric |
| inflammation of the lungs and airways, constricting | | | | pulmonologist, inform the physician if you [or your child] |
| them, releasing more mucous, while bringing about | | | | have any heart problem, epilepsy/seizure disorder, |
| bouts of wheezing and coughing. To aid such people | | | | tuberculosis, osteoporosis, diabetes, glaucoma, |
| to breathe freely, by opening their blocked airways, is a | | | | hypertension, any infection, thyroid disorder, liver |
| gift from the field of medicine - Advair Diskus. | | | | malfunction, or a weak immune system. If you are |
| This is a controller medication consisting of two | | | | allergic to Fluticasone or Salmeterol, or if you have any |
| compounds - Flutacisone and Salmeterol, and comes | | | | other allergies, inform your doctor about it. Keep a list |
| with a specially made device that is preloaded with | | | | of all medicines you take handy - including prescription |
| blister packs containing this medicine. Each time the | | | | OTC medicines-nutritional supplements-herbal products |
| device is opened, a blister pack is loaded, ready to be | | | | - and let the physician know about these, as medicines |
| inhaled. Prolonged use of Advair Diskus can help | | | | like NSAIDs, anti-hypertensives, angina/cardiac |
| patients to develop resistance to asthma, but it cannot | | | | medications, anti-diabetic medicines, anti-allergy drugs, |
| work when an asthmatic attack or acute | | | | analgesics, antipyretics, anti-anxiety drugs, antipsychotic |
| bronchospasm is underway. For emergencies, | | | | drugs, diuretics, bronchodilators for COPD, or other |
| another fast acting inhaler should be used. | | | | medicines for asthma, are amongst those that interact |
| This medicine is meant as a maintenance treatment in | | | | with Advair. |
| asthma for adults as well as children, and for treating | | | | Advair may cause some side effects - the common |
| COPD in adults, but it is not recommended for use in | | | | ones are headache, dizziness, diarrhea, nausea, |
| children who have COPD. Children who fall victim to | | | | vomiting, hoarse voice with a dry mouth/nose/throat, or |
| any pulmonary disease have to use another | | | | stuffy nose with a cough/sore throat/sinus pain. If an |
| medication. | | | | allergic reaction happens - itching, rash, labored |
| We never give a second thought to our natural gifts | | | | breathing, tightness in the chest, or swelling in the face |
| until those little ordinary acts get threatened, like | | | | mouth/lips/tongue - stop the medicine and inform your |
| breathing in and breathing out. Asthma and COPD | | | | doctor. If any symptom becomes bothersome, or |
| are chronic diseases in which breathing becomes a bit | | | | some rare/serious symptom occurs, or if you feel you |
| of a struggle. In such individuals, the moment they | | | | have taken an overdose, you must get emergency |
| sense a "trigger" - dust mites, pollen, mold, animal | | | | help at once. These symptoms may include severe |
| dander, chalk dust, chemicals, pollution, tobacco smoke, | | | | chest pain, bronchospasm, irregular/rapid heartbeat, |
| odors - their body responds by releasing certain | | | | tremors, cough with yellow/green phlegm, white |
| chemicals such as leukotrienes. These chemicals | | | | patches/sores inside the mouth/on the lips, vaginal odor |
| react immediately by causing swelling in the airways, | | | | discharge, severe muscular pain/weakness/spasms, |
| making them red, while the muscles around the | | | | numbness/tingling sensation in the hands/feet, or fever |
| airways begin to tighten. The afflicted individual now | | | | chills/sore throat/earache/increased phlegm/persisting |
| experiences difficulty in breathing, as he/she wheezes | | | | headache [that could be due to an infection]. |
| and coughs, trying to get rid of the excess sputum, so | | | | Osteoporosis may be a side effect, especially if there |
| that the airways clear and the life-saving oxygen | | | | is a family history of the same. While you can |
| move easily inside the airways. | | | | counter osteoporosis by taking the right amount of |
| To make life worse for sufferers, there are various | | | | Calcium and Vitamin D, stop smoking, and perform |
| kinds of allergies! These include Seasonal allergies that | | | | some exercise daily, if it's a child who is taking Advair |
| occur in the springtime or autumn when pollen, grass, | | | | Diskus and is not growing normally, inform the pediatric |
| and mold counts are high. Allergic rhinitis, the chief | | | | pulmonologist and follow the doctor's advice. |
| seasonal disorder in almost 75% of Americans, is | | | | There could be a heightened risk of developing eye |
| caused by ragweed. People can experience allergic | | | | problems such as cataracts, or glaucoma, so be |
| rhinitis the whole year round because they may be | | | | regular with your eye check-ups. The medicine could |
| allergic to mold on wallpaper, carpeting, upholstery, | | | | weaken your immune system so it would be better for |
| houseplants, pollution caused by automobile emissions, | | | | you to steer clear of those who have any kind of an |
| or even their pet's hair! Non-allergic rhinitis can be | | | | infection, but if you do get exposed to chicken pox, or |
| "triggered" by smoke from a cigarette - could be | | | | measles, inform your doctor immediately, as these |
| second-hand smoking, strong perfumes/odors, alcoholic | | | | infections can be dangerous for people taking steroids. |
| beverages, and cold weather. | | | | Take the medicine regularly, as prescribed, but don't |
| This can happen to adults and children alike. Most | | | | take it in larger amounts, as Salmeterol has been linked |
| children who have asthma are said to have | | | | to asthma-related deaths. If you are taking another |
| experienced it for the first time before they reach their | | | | steroid as well, ask your doctor how it can be tapered |
| 5th birthday. In the very young, boys are more prone | | | | off, but don't attempt to do it on your own, as it may |
| to having asthma than girls, but when a parent [or both | | | | lead to unpleasant withdrawal effects. In case you |
| parents] have asthma, the likelihood of their child | | | | find that you have to rely more and more on your |
| children having asthma increases. | | | | asthma medications, inform your doctor, for this could |
| COPD, which affects people in more or less the same | | | | be one way of your body telling you that a serious |
| way as asthma, is also a chronic condition, but it can | | | | asthmatic attack is on the way. |
| get worse over time and imperil life. Dust, smoking, air | | | | Pregnant or lactating women, as well as those who |
| pollution, and breathing in cold air for such people | | | | are planning to have a child, must consult their doctor |
| results in bronchospasm and shortness of breath. | | | | before taking this medicine. Keep in regular touch |
| While there are no cures as yet for COPD or asthma, | | | | with your doctor, who will be able to advise you about |
| medication can provide relief, but if it is accompanied | | | | the uses of this medicine, its side effects, interactions, |
| with proper diet and exercise, it will help you more. | | | | and precautions for you to follow. |
| Fluticasone is a corticosteroid, which prevents | | | | It would be useful to wear a medical alert ID, or carry |
| inflammation; Salmeterol blocks the leukotrienes, | | | | an identification card, so that should there be any |
| relaxing the narrowed muscles in the airways and | | | | emergency, medical personnel will know which |
| lungs; together in Advair Diskus, these two medicines | | | | medicines you are taking and those that you may |
| provide relief from asthmatic symptoms and to those | | | | need at all times. |