About Asthma

If you have asthma, you are not alone

IF YOU HAVE ASTHMA,
YOU ARE NOT ALONE—
ABOUT 25 MILLION AMERICANS
SUFFER FROM THIS DISEASE

Normally, the airways of your lungs are open, allowing the air you breathe to move in and out easily. When you have asthma, exposure to inhaled irritants, or triggers, can cause the walls of your airways to become inflamed and the muscles around the airways to tighten up. This makes your airways narrower, leaving less room for air to flow.

Ask your doctor if SYMBICORT may be right for you

LEARN MORE

Persistent VS Intermittent Asthma

Patients 12 years of age or older with intermittent asthma experience symptoms 2 days a week or less, wake up at night 2 times a month or less and experience no interference with normal activity

Persistent asthma in people 12 years of age or older is classified as mild, moderate or severe, depending on symptoms

PEOPLE WITH MILD PERSISTENT ASTHMA

experience symptoms more than 2 days a week but not daily, wake up at night 3 to 4 times a month, and have only minor limitation in their normal activity

PEOPLE WITH MODERATE PERSISTENT ASTHMA

experience symptoms every day, wake up at night more than once a week but not nightly, and have some limitation in their normal activity

PEOPLE WITH SEVERE PERSISTENT ASTHMA

experience symptoms throughout the day, often wake up at night 7 times a week and have extreme limitation in their normal activity

It is important to treat your asthma and have a plan that can help manage your condition.

Asthma symptoms

The most common symptoms of an asthma attack are:

COUGHING

TIGHTNESS OF THE CHEST

SHORTNESS OF BREATH

WHEEZING (a high-pitched, whistling sound)

Asthma control is about more than just treating sudden symptoms. It’s about managing your asthma daily so you have few or no asthma symptoms in the first place. Good control means being able to continue doing the things you like to do with fewer interruptions due to your asthma, fewer asthma symptoms during the day and night, and not having to rely on your rescue medicine/inhaler as much.

Asthma triggers

When managing asthma, it’s important for you to know and avoid the triggers that can cause your symptoms to come back.

Common triggers include the following:

INDOOR AND OUTDOOR ALLERGENS

Dust mites
Animal dander and saliva
Mold
Trees, grass, weeds, and pollen

CERTAIN MEDICAL CONDITIONS

Respiratory infections (cold, flu, or sinus infections)
Acid reflux disease

IRRITANTS

Cigarette smoke (including exposure to secondhand smoke)
Air pollution
Chemicals at home and in the workplace
Strong odors from perfumes, deodorants, cleaning products, hairspray, etc

SULFITES IN FOOD AND DRINKS

Not sure if your food or drink contains sulfites? Look for the following on food labels:

Sulfur dioxide
Potassium bisulfite
Potassium metabisulfite
Sodium bisulfite
Sodium metabisulfite
Sodium sulfite

CERTAIN MEDICINES

Aspirin or other nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs)
Certain beta-blockers

PHYSICAL ACTIVITY/OTHER

Intense exercise
Feeling anxious
Sudden or extreme temperature changes (hot and cold)

Is your asthma under control?

Asthma control is about more than just treating sudden symptoms. It’s about managing your asthma daily so you have few or no asthma symptoms in the first place. Good control means being able to continue doing the things you like to do with fewer interruptions due to your asthma, fewer asthma symptoms during the day and night, and not having to rely on your rescue medicine/inhaler as much.

Ask yourself:

Do you experience asthma symptoms more than twice a week?
Do your symptoms wake you up at night more than twice a month?
Do you use your asthma “rescue” medicine/inhaler more than twice a week?
Do your asthma symptoms limit your normal activities?

If you answer “yes” to any of these questions, you may not be in control of your asthma, and it is important that you talk to your doctor to see if a medicine that helps control asthma symptoms, like SYMBICORT, may be right for you.

Remember: Medicines that help control the underlying causes of asthma should not be used as rescue medicines or to treat sudden asthma symptoms.

Asthma diagnosis

Your doctor will use a combination of your medical history, physical exam, and lung function tests to diagnose whether or not you have asthma.

MEDICAL HISTORY

This includes information about your symptoms, any family history of asthma or allergies, and related health conditions that may interfere with managing asthma, like a runny nose, sinus infections, reflux disease, stress, and sleep apnea.

PHYSICAL EXAM

Your doctor may physically examine you with a stethoscope to listen for abnormal breathing sounds like wheezing (a high-pitched whistling sound) and other signs of asthma. Remember—even if you don’t have these signs on the day your doctor examines you, you could still have asthma.

ASTHMA LUNG FUNCTION TESTS

Your doctor may recommend one or more tests to help determine if you have asthma. Spirometry is a lung function test that measures how much air you can breathe in and out. It also measures how fast you can blow out. You’ll start by taking a deep breath, and then blowing as hard as you can into a machine called a spirometer, which will record measurements like the amount of air you can breathe out, usually in 1 second (FEV₁). If your airways are narrowed because of inflammation, or the muscles around your airways have tightened up, the results can show it.

A peak flow test is another way to measure air flowing out of your lungs. Measuring peak flow, using an instrument called a peak flow meter (PFM), can reveal an asthma attack before you feel symptoms.

OTHER TESTS

Your doctor may order allergy tests to find out what kinds of things trigger your asthma; tests to measure how sensitive your airways are to exercise; testing for other conditions like rhinitis, sinus disease, or obstructive sleep apnea that could make your symptoms worse; and maybe a chest x-ray or electrocardiogram (ECG) to see if other factors like a foreign object or heart disease could be causing your symptoms.

These tests, along with lung function tests, can help your doctor determine the severity of your asthma and guide further treatment.

Treatment options

There are many treatments available for asthma. Your doctor will decide what the best treatment option is for you based on the severity of your symptoms

Two types of medicines used to treat asthma are:

ANTI-INFLAMMATORIES

These are medications that help reduce the swelling in the airways and mucus production. They largely include corticosteroids.

INHALED CORTICOSTEROIDS (ICS) are used to reduce inflammation in the airways

ORAL CORTICOSTEROIDS AND CORTICOSTEROID INJECTIONS are systemic, which means they are delivered to your entire system, not just your lungs

BRONCHODILATORS

Bronchodilators help relax the muscles around your airways to open them up.

There are two forms of bronchodilators used for the treatment of asthma. Short-acting bronchodilators, like short-acting beta₂-adrenergic agonists (SABAs), are prescribed as "rescue" treatment for quick relief of sudden symptoms. Depending the severity of your asthma, your doctor may also prescribe a long-acting bronchodilator, like long-acting beta₂-adrenergic agonists (LABAs), as controller treatment to be taken along with an ICS every day to help control asthma symptoms.

SYMBICORT CONTAINS 2 OF THESE MEDICINES—AN ICS AND A LABA—THAT WORK TOGETHER TO HELP IMPROVE LUNG FUNCTION IN ASTHMA.*

SYMBICORT is delivered through an inhaler and can help you breathe better starting within 15 minutes.* SYMBICORT will not replace a rescue inhaler for sudden symptoms.

LABA medicines, when used alone, can increase the risk of hospitalizations and death from asthma problems. When an ICS and LABA are used together, this risk is not significantly increased.

*Your results may vary.

LEARN ABOUT SYMBICORT, A TREATMENT OPTION FOR ASTHMA

SYMBICORT will not replace a rescue inhaler for sudden symptoms

LEARN MORE

HOW IS ASTHMA DIFFERENT FROM COPD, EMPHYSEMA, OR CHRONIC BRONCHITIS?

Learn the difference, know the signs

LEARN MORE

SYMBICORT combines an ICS, budesonide and a LABA medicine, formoterol. LABA medicines, such as formoterol, when used alone can increase the risk of hospitalizations and death from asthma problems. When an ICS and LABA are used together, this risk is not significantly increased
Do not use SYMBICORT for sudden severe symptoms of COPD or asthma
Before you use SYMBICORT, tell your healthcare provider about all of your medical conditions, including if you have heart conditions or high blood pressure, and all the medicines you may be taking. Some patients taking SYMBICORT may experience increased blood pressure, heart rate, or change in heart rhythm
Do not use SYMBICORT more often than prescribed. SYMBICORT should be taken as 2 puffs 2 times each day
While taking SYMBICORT, do not use another medicine containing a LABA for any reason. Ask your healthcare provider or pharmacist if any of your other medicines are LABA medicines
Call your healthcare provider or get medical care right away if:
- Your breathing problems worsen
- You need to use your rescue inhaler more often than usual or your rescue inhaler doesn’t work as well at relieving symptoms
SYMBICORT may cause serious side effects, including:
- Using too much of a LABA medicine may cause chest pain, fast and irregular heartbeat, tremor, increased blood pressure, headache or nervousness
- Fungal infection in your mouth or throat (thrush). Rinse your mouth with water without swallowing after using SYMBICORT to help reduce your chance of getting thrush
- Pneumonia and other lower respiratory tract infections. People with COPD may have a higher chance of pneumonia and other lung infections. ICS may increase the chance of getting pneumonia. Call your healthcare provider if you notice any of the following symptoms: increase in mucus production or change in color, fever, increased cough, chills, or increased breathing problems
- Immune system effects and a higher chance for infections. Tell your healthcare provider about any signs of infection such as: fever, body aches, feeling tired, vomiting, pain, chills, or nausea
- Adrenal insufficiency. This can happen when you stop taking oral corticosteroid medicines and start inhaled corticosteroid medicine
- Increased wheezing right after taking SYMBICORT. Always have a rescue inhaler with you to treat sudden wheezing
- Serious allergic reactions including rash, hives, swelling of the face, mouth, and tongue, and breathing problems. Call your healthcare provider or get emergency medical care if you get any symptoms of a serious allergic reaction
- Lower bone mineral density can happen in people who have a high chance for low bone mineral density (osteoporosis)
- Slowed growth in children. A child’s growth should be checked regularly while using SYMBICORT
- Eye problems including glaucoma and cataracts. You should have regular eye exams while using SYMBICORT
- Swelling of blood vessels. This can happen in people with asthma. Tell your healthcare provider right away if you have: a feeling of pins and needles or numbness of arms or legs, rash, flu like symptoms, or pain and swelling of the sinuses
- Decreases in blood potassium levels (hypokalemia)
- Increases in blood sugar levels (hyperglycemia)
The most common side effects of SYMBICORT include:
- COPD: throat irritation, thrush in the mouth and throat, bronchitis, sinusitis, and upper respiratory tract infection
- Asthma: throat irritation, headache, upper respiratory tract infection, throat pain, sinusitis, flu, back pain, nasal congestion, stomach discomfort, vomiting, and thrush in the mouth and throat

APPROVED USES

COPD: SYMBICORT 160/4.5 mcg is used long-term to improve symptoms of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), including chronic bronchitis and emphysema, for better breathing and fewer flare-ups.

Asthma: SYMBICORT is for the treatment of asthma in patients 6 years and older whose asthma is not well‐controlled with an asthma-control medicine such as an inhaled corticosteroid (ICS) or whose asthma warrants treatment with both an ICS and a long-acting beta₂-adrenergic agonist (LABA).

SYMBICORT is not used to relieve sudden breathing problems and will not replace a rescue inhaler.

Please see full Prescribing Information and Patient Information, and discuss with your doctor.

You may report side effects related to AstraZeneca products by clicking here.

SYMBICORT combines an ICS, budesonide and a LABA medicine, formoterol. LABA medicines, such as formoterol, when used alone can increase the risk of hospitalizations and death from asthma problems. When an ICS and LABA are used together, this risk is not significantly increased
Do not use SYMBICORT for sudden severe symptoms of COPD or asthma
Before you use SYMBICORT, tell your healthcare provider about all of your medical conditions, including if you have heart conditions or high blood pressure, and all the medicines you may be taking. Some patients taking SYMBICORT may experience increased blood pressure, heart rate, or change in heart rhythm
Do not use SYMBICORT more often than prescribed. SYMBICORT should be taken as 2 puffs 2 times each day
While taking SYMBICORT, do not use another medicine containing a LABA for any reason. Ask your healthcare provider or pharmacist if any of your other medicines are LABA medicines
Call your healthcare provider or get medical care right away if:
- Your breathing problems worsen
- You need to use your rescue inhaler more often than usual or your rescue inhaler doesn’t work as well at relieving symptoms
SYMBICORT may cause serious side effects, including:
- Using too much of a LABA medicine may cause chest pain, fast and irregular heartbeat, tremor, increased blood pressure, headache or nervousness
- Fungal infection in your mouth or throat (thrush). Rinse your mouth with water without swallowing after using SYMBICORT to help reduce your chance of getting thrush
- Pneumonia and other lower respiratory tract infections. People with COPD may have a higher chance of pneumonia and other lung infections. ICS may increase the chance of getting pneumonia. Call your healthcare provider if you notice any of the following symptoms: increase in mucus production or change in color, fever, increased cough, chills, or increased breathing problems
- Immune system effects and a higher chance for infections. Tell your healthcare provider about any signs of infection such as: fever, body aches, feeling tired, vomiting, pain, chills, or nausea
- Adrenal insufficiency. This can happen when you stop taking oral corticosteroid medicines and start inhaled corticosteroid medicine
- Increased wheezing right after taking SYMBICORT. Always have a rescue inhaler with you to treat sudden wheezing
- Serious allergic reactions including rash, hives, swelling of the face, mouth, and tongue, and breathing problems. Call your healthcare provider or get emergency medical care if you get any symptoms of a serious allergic reaction
- Lower bone mineral density can happen in people who have a high chance for low bone mineral density (osteoporosis)
- Slowed growth in children. A child’s growth should be checked regularly while using SYMBICORT
- Eye problems including glaucoma and cataracts. You should have regular eye exams while using SYMBICORT
- Swelling of blood vessels. This can happen in people with asthma. Tell your healthcare provider right away if you have: a feeling of pins and needles or numbness of arms or legs, rash, flu like symptoms, or pain and swelling of the sinuses
- Decreases in blood potassium levels (hypokalemia)
- Increases in blood sugar levels (hyperglycemia)
The most common side effects of SYMBICORT include:
- COPD: throat irritation, thrush in the mouth and throat, bronchitis, sinusitis, and upper respiratory tract infection
- Asthma: throat irritation, headache, upper respiratory tract infection, throat pain, sinusitis, flu, back pain, nasal congestion, stomach discomfort, vomiting, and thrush in the mouth and throat