Chronic, ever-progressive asthma is a pretty big problem that needs to be talked about more. How does asthma occur, what do we know about it, and what could be the role of biologic therapy, which is said to hold the key to a brighter tomorrow for asthma sufferers and their loved ones?
Asthma is a serious disease that can affect both physical and mental health
Asthma is a chronic inflammatory disease of the respiratory tract, which is characterized by paroxysmal exacerbations. This health disorder, which may also have an allergic shade (phenotype), is manifested by shortness of breath, chest heaviness, cough, and sometimes even fear of death if the attack is particularly severe, blocking normal respiratory function and lasting quite a long time. The worst thing is that attacks often occur at night or in the morning when a person is sleeping, so in the long run the patient’s sleep may be disrupted, and mental and physical health may deteriorate. Not only the patient, but also his relatives suffer from this disease, because sudden and unexpected attacks can make him fear new places where dangerous allergens may be present; also to be afraid of physical activity, because movement can provoke an attack, etc.
The target of biological therapy is severe allergic asthma
Severe allergic asthma can make life extremely difficult for the sufferer, and the usual treatment with inhaled drugs and oral hormonal drugs (which can have many unwanted effects, especially if used in high doses and for a long time) may no longer be enough. The solution in this case could be not only a relatively new but also a very effective method of treatment – biological therapy, which has been applied in Lithuania quite recently. Biological therapy already shows excellent results, helping even patients with severe asthma to enjoy a normal life. This method of treatment is not only very effective, but also has fewer side effects, which are very characteristic of oral hormonal preparations used for suppressing extremely strong inflammatory reactions in the respiratory tract.
Biologic therapy can be very effective, so it’s worth asking your doctor about it
Biological therapy is a much more progressive, newer and more modern method of treatment, a new hope for patients with severe and difficult-to-treat asthma with an allergic phenotype. It is also very convenient that, depending on the treatment regimens, the medication may only need to be injected every few weeks or even less often, for example, every few months. Medicines used in biological therapy contain monoclonal antibodies, which are proteins that recognize specific substances in the body, also called targets.
Biological therapy acts on the cause of the disease itself – it inhibits the activity of a special protein, preventing the bone marrow from producing eosinophils, reducing their amount both in the blood and in the lungs, thus facilitating the course of the disease, reducing the occurrence and severity of attacks. Of course, patients need to take other medications to keep their asthma under control, but biologic therapy is a new hope for severe asthma patients in particular. Although this treatment is not suitable for everyone, in cooperation with the doctor, it is possible to successfully assess whether the patient is a suitable candidate or not. If your asthma has worsened and/or the medications you are taking are no longer helping to control it well, it is worth talking to your doctor about the possibility of biological therapy.
