Asthma and Steroids

Oral steroids are also often used as an asthma treatment when an asthma attack occurs. Forms of oral steroids include prednisone and prednisolone (Prelone and Orapred). In general, prednisone is prescribed for adults and older children who can swallow pills and prednisolone, syrup, is used for younger children who aren’t yet able to swallow pills.

Read more details about Steroids.

If you take steroid pills for asthma, it is very important to remember to:

• Eat a well balanced diet that meets the Food Pyramid Guidelines. A healthy diet that includes foods from each food group can make up for some of the nutritional side effects of steroid therapy.

• Eat foods high in calcium, or supplement with a calcium and vitamin d, as many people with asthma have allergic reactions to dairy products that can trigger asthmatic symptoms. Over a long period of time, steroid pills can increase the risk of osteoporosis (loss of calcium in the bones).

• Limit the use of salt and foods that are high in sodium and decrease the amount of cholesterol and fats in your diet to prevent other side effects such as electrolyte imbalances.