ASTHMA INHALERS AND OTHER TREATMENTS: DOES THEY CAUSE ADDICTION OR WORSEN THE DISEASE CONDITION

Abstract

Objective: This research aims to determine the asthma inhalers and other treatments, such as whether they cause addiction or worsen the disease condition.

Methods: The study will be conducted in outpatient respiratory clinics across several hospitals in [insert location]. These clinics provide care for patients with asthma, making them ideal settings for recruiting participants and collecting relevant data.

Results: The study included 450 participants. The most frequent gender among them was male (n= 282, 62.6%) and female (n= 168, 37.3%). The most frequent age among study participants was 36-40 years (n= 155, 34.4%), followed by 31-35 years (n= 102, 22.7%) then 40 years and more (n=84, 18.7%), 25-30 years (n=72, 16%), and less than 25 years (n=37, 8.2%). The most frequent nationalities among study participants were Saudi (n= 372, 82.6%) and non-Saudi (n= 78, 17.3%). The participants were asked, "Are you an asthma patient?" and the responses were as follows: yes (n=318, 70.7%) and no (n=132, 29.3%). Asthma patients among the participants were asked whether they could control the disease, and the responses were as follows: controlled (n=257, 57.1) and uncontrolled (n=61, 13.6%). Asthma treatment for the participants used was SABA (n=220, 69%), followed by LABA (n=75, 24%), oral medications (n=19,6%), and others (n=4,1%).

Conclusion:

The study highlighted significant findings regarding the use of asthma inhalers and treatments. While most participants reported controlled asthma symptoms, a portion expressed concerns about dependency, long-term side effects, and reduced inhaler effectiveness over time. These results underscore the importance of patient education, regular treatment reassessments, and addressing psychological aspects of inhaler use.