by Sarah Hawn

Created on: May 27, 2009   Last Updated: May 28, 2009

Have you ever wondered just how safe your asthma medications really are? With spring time here and seasons changing we sometimes get chronic allergies or respiratory issues which can also result in asthma. There are all sorts of medications people take for their conditions.

However, people need to be aware that inhalers can help open the airways, but can also be dangerous to one's health. The ingredients in some inhalers contain a chemical that can actually cause an allergic reaction or even worsen your asthma symptoms. If the dosage is under control and the patient is aware of the side effects and precautions taken with the inhaler than they should consider using it at their own risk.

On the other hand, there seems to be other more natural ways to help asthma. For instance, you can turn on your shower and inhale the steam from the water which will help open your lungs and air passages.

Studies have even shown that active exercise is actually good for people with asthma, because it helps the lungs function at a higher rate. This is especially true when it comes to swimming and running.

Even though there are a number of asthma medications out on the market at the moment, the FDA should most definitely look at the risk factors and safety factors involved in putting new medicine or inhalers on the market. Most patients with asthma usually have sensitivity to allergies which can cause a great amount of their asthma problems.

If you want to be double sure about using a specific inhaler or medicine, you should do extra research and look at the medical information enclosed in the box or that comes with the prescription at the pharmacy.

Depending on your severity of asthma should also be a factor in deciding that you need extensive treatment for asthma. Younger children have a lower immune system and are more prone to colds and chronic allergies and asthma. The amount of times they use an inhaler or take medicine could affect them in many different ways.

Parents should take extra caution when considering an inhaler for their children. An allergist once told me that the type of inhaler that he prescribed to certain patients had a chemical in it that can be harmful to one's heart and life. Therefore the manufacturers of inhalers and asthma treatment should do better research to see just how they could improve the medicine in inhalers or do further research to find out what it is that is causing so many people to feel worse when they should be feeling better.

In my experience in using an inhaler as a child, I felt it was kind of like inhaling helium, it felt funny when I inhaled the chemical and sometimes made me feel jumpy or dizzy. Now ask yourself, am I doing the right thing for my child by agreeing to asthma treatments that his or her doctor has recommended? or should I consider going on a more natural approach? Safety should always be first when it comes to any sort of medication.

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