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"   Question I do not suffer from asthma but have been diagnosed as having bronchial hyper-reactivity often brought on through rhinitis.  What treatment is recommended? I am particularly interested in anything other than prednisolone/steroids.   Answer I am sorry to hear about the problems you are having with your hyper-reactive airways.  I have to say that I think we may be splitting hairs a bit to say that you do not have some form of asthma.  But I am on your side when it comes to not using a blanket label of &amp;#039;asthma&amp;#039; for anyone who has a wheeze.  I imagine that when you have your hyper-reactivity, you do get a wheeze, and that it is reversible with bronchodilators such as Ventolin (salbutamol).  So I was a little puzzled that you say you are on no medications.  What you do about this problem depends a lot on the degree of severity and the frequency of the symptoms.  If it is brought on by rhinitis, then of course one thing to do would be to try and minimise the problems you get from this.  If it is seasonal rhinitis, like hay fever, then of course antihistamines and antiallergic nasal sprays such Beconase can help.  Desensitisation is not usually very rewarding. If your rhinitis is perennial, ie lasts all year, then it will be worthwhile excluding other factors.  These would include chronic maxillary, frontal or ethmoidal sinusitis, nasal polyps, and a deviated nasal septum.  An ENT (ear, nose and throat) specialist opinion might help here. If there is nothing that can be offered to reduce the rhinitis, then you have to deal with the wheezing episodes as and when they occur, and the management is pretty much the same as if you had full-blown asthma. If the episodes are infrequent then just using a bronchodilator inhaler such as Ventolin is all that is needed.  But if you have prolonged episodes that interfere with your lifestyle, then you could try inhaled sodium cromoglicate , which can reduce hyper-reactivity of the airways.  If this is not helpful, then really you should consider inhaled steroids. The doses here are measured in micrograms, and are a thousand times smaller than taking oral steroids.  The chances of them giving an adult any steroid-related side effects are almost negligible.  Taken regularly for a while they can really improve symptoms, and can always be tailed off again if the wheeze settles down.  Oral steroids are only used in the most severe cases, and are usually only given for a few days. They can be life-saving, and it would be foolish to refuse a short course of oral steroids if you were really bad.  Another possibility is a group of medications called leukotriene modifiers such as montelukast.  These are really second-line treatments, and you would need to discuss their use with your doctor.  Yours sincerely The NetDoctor Medical Team  Other Qs &amp;amp;amp; As Blocked nose Ear eczema I find it hard to breathe out of my nostrils I have a watery discharge from my nose I suffer badly with catarrh  I&amp;#039;m allergic to horses Is it ok for me to run long distances? Is there a natural alternative to nasal spray for my allergy? I&amp;#039;ve got sinus problems My nose blocks up My sneezing is driving me insane My three-year-old daughter is coughing badly Sore eyes but sensitive to drops: is there a remedy?  Throat problems Weight loss and persistent coughing Where does this mucus come from?  Last updated 01.02.2011 "^^<http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema#string>
<http://www.netdoctor.co.uk/ask-the-expert/allergy-and-asthma/a6013/what-treatments-are-available-for-bronchial-hyperreactivity/>