Different Treatments

You might find asthma treatments confusing. There are so many different medicines available, and it may not be clear why your doctor recommends one and not another.

Here you'll find information on how you and your doctor will choose a treatment plan, the different types of asthma medication, and the common devices you may use.

The more you know about treating asthma, the better you may be able to control symptoms.

PREVENTATIVE VS QUICK-RELIEF

As you may know, asthma medications are commonly grouped into two categories: preventative medications and quick-relief (rescue) medications.

If you have asthma, you should have a quick-relief medication to treat asthma symptoms immediately when they arise. Preventative medications help prevent asthma symptoms from occurring in the first place. Taken regularly, these medications work by reducing constriction (narrowing of the airways) and/or inflammation (swelling and irritation in the airways).

Select preventative or quick-relief to find out more.

PREVENTATIVE ASTHMA MEDICINES

When taken regularly, preventative medicines help prevent asthma symptoms from occurring.

INHALED CORTICOSTEROIDS (ICSs)

ICSs help reduce inflammation in the airways, which can help:

Improve lung function
Prevent asthma symptoms
Reduce reliance on a quick-relief inhaler

ICSs are very similar to a chemical that the body naturally produces to combat inflammation. They go directly to the airways of the lungs to help reduce swelling. Because ICSs go right where they are needed, there is less risk of the side effects that may occur with the same medicine taken in pill form, where the medicine has to go throughout your body. To help prevent coughing, wheezing, and other asthma symptoms, ICSs should be taken every day as prescribed, even when you are not experiencing symptoms.

Keep in mind that ICSs are not anabolic steroids. The inhaled corticosteroids used for asthma are NOT the same as the steroids abused by some athletes to build muscle. According to the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute asthma treatment guidelines, ICSs are the preferred and most effective preventative medication for people with persistent asthma.

However, ICSs treat only one of the 2 main causes of asthma, so talk to your doctor about whether you need a medicine that will also treat airway constriction. Find out more about a product that treats both main causes of asthma.

LONG-ACTING BETA₂-AGONISTS (LABAs)

Long-acting beta₂-agonists are often prescribed with an ICS and are another type of medicine used in preventative (long-term) treatment of asthma. These are bronchodilators, meaning they help keep the airways of the lungs open by relaxing the smooth muscle surrounding the airways. When used regularly, these long-acting bronchodilators help reduce airway constriction, improve lung function, prevent symptoms, and reduce the need for a quick-relief (rescue) inhaler.

QUICK-RELIEF ASTHMA MEDICINES (RESCUE)

Most quick-relief asthma medications work to stop the tightening of the muscles around the airways of the lungs. Some are taken in pill form, but most are inhaled.

SHORT-ACTING BETA₂-AGONISTS (SABAs)

These quick-relief (rescue) asthma medications help relax the muscles surrounding the airways. They act within minutes to relieve sudden symptoms that are caused by asthma triggers. It’s important to keep your rescue inhaler with you at all times. If it does not relieve your symptoms quickly, speak with your doctor or get help as soon as possible.

Sometimes for people with occasional, or intermittent, asthma, a short-acting inhaled beta₂-agonist is the only medication required. But remember, if you are using your short-acting medication more than twice a week to treat asthma symptoms, it could be a sign that your asthma is not under control, and you should talk with your doctor as soon as possible.

SYSTEMIC CORTICOSTEROIDS

These are used to treat an acute worsening of your asthma symptoms. They work to reverse the inflammation and speed your recovery. They also help reduce the chances of these symptoms repeating.

Many asthma medications must be taken with different types of devices. It’s very important to learn to use these devices properly. Spend some time learning how to use your device so you receive the proper dose of medication. Improper use of the device can prevent your medication from working.

If you have any questions about how to use an asthma device, talk to your doctor immediately.

Select one of the following to learn more:

DRY-POWDER INHALER (DPI)

This type of inhaler delivers medication directly into your lungs, where it’s needed, but it does not require hand/breathing coordination or the use of a spacer device. More and more asthma medications are becoming available in DPI form.

METERED-DOSE INHALER (MDI)

This type of inhaler uses a gas propellant to deliver medication right into your lungs. The use of this device requires hand/breath coordination. Some patients, such as children and elderly people, may find this difficult and may benefit from the use of an accessory device called a spacer.

Download this guide to help you with your MDI. How to Use Your Metered-Dose Inhaler

SPACERS

Spacers help you inhale your medication into the lower airways—where it’s supposed to go—instead of into your throat. Most types of spacers fit onto the end of an MDI inhaler. Some spacers are designed to make MDIs easier to use, but they can be bulky and more difficult to carry around.

If you're using an MDI, your doctor may recommend using a spacer to help with the delivery of your medication. Spacers are especially helpful for children or people who have trouble breathing in while pressing the inhaler.

For best results using your spacer, carefully follow the instructions for your specific model.

NEBULIZERS

Nebulizers use a compressor and pump to deliver a fine mist of medication into your lungs. This comes through either a mask that fits snugly over your nose and mouth or a tube through which you breathe.

Nebulizers are made for people who can't use an inhaler, including young children and people who are very ill. Delivery of quick-relief medicines through nebulizers is also often used to help stop severe asthma attacks in adults and older children.

Nebulizers are not for everyone. They can be expensive, time-consuming, and bulky. However, some nebulizers on the market are small, portable devices, either with battery packs or adapters so they can be used in cars.

For best results with a nebulizer, carefully follow the instructions that came with your specific model.

Knowing how well you are breathing and whether you have asthma symptoms or not can be important parts of your asthma treatment plan. Take a look at the devices below and discover how they can become part of your asthma treatment plan.

If you have any questions about how to use an asthma monitoring device, talk to your doctor immediately.

Select one of the following to learn more:

PEAK FLOW METERS

A peak flow meter is a relatively inexpensive and portable device that measures how well air is moving out of your lungs. Every peak flow meter will have a mouthpiece, a main tube, and a scale with measurements on it. You blow into the mouthpiece, and the meter measures how well your lungs are working. If you keep track of your results and bring them to your doctor, you can learn a number of valuable things, such as:

What circumstances make your asthma get worse
Whether you need to adjust your treatment plan
Whether you need emergency treatment

You may be able to tell when you need to use your quick-relief inhaler or nebulizer—even before you notice any asthma symptoms.

Peak flow meters can be especially useful for people with moderate to severe persistent asthma who take daily preventative asthma medication.

Several types of peak flow meters are available, including a low-range meter that is suitable for the smaller airways of children. Your doctor can help you decide which is best for you. For best results with a peak flow meter, be sure to follow the instructions that came with your specific model.

Download these guides to help you with your peak flow meter.
A Basic Guide on Using a Peak Flow Meter | A Peak Flow Diary

SPIROMETRY TEST

Your doctor may give you a spirometry test, the most common test used to diagnose asthma and to assess severity and control for those who already know they have asthma.

Spirometry is a simple and painless breathing test that measures how much air flows in and out of your lungs. These measurements help assess how well your lungs are working, and then your results are compared with other people of the same age, height, gender, and, occasionally, race.

A spirometry test is a step toward finding out your current level of breathing.

You may want to explore other ways of trying to prevent asthma symptoms. The methods below may be helpful.

ALLERGY TESTING

Many people with asthma have allergies that trigger their asthma symptoms. So knowing exactly what you’re allergic to may help you manage your asthma. Allergy testing involves a series of small, shallow injections into your skin. The injections contain extracts of substances—such as tree and grass pollens, house dust mites, and animal dander—that often cause allergic reactions. Your doctor will then look at any skin “wheals,” or bumps, that those substances may cause. The larger the wheal, the more severe your reaction to that substance may be.

ALLERGY SHOTS

Allergy shots are injections of substances to which you are allergic, based on your allergy testing results. You will get these shots regularly, and they will gradually increase in strength. As the dose increases, your body may become more used to the allergens, which can help to reduce asthma symptoms when you are exposed to them.

FLU SHOT

If you have asthma and get influenza (also called the flu), you're more prone to complications, such as worsening asthma or pneumonia. To avoid this risk, especially if you have persistent asthma, your doctor may recommend getting a flu shot, which must be given annually because the virus that causes influenza changes from year to year. The vaccine may protect you from most strains of the flu. If you do get the flu anyway, chances are you'll get a less severe case of it. Keep in mind, influenza is a respiratory illness, not to be confused with stomach and intestinal viruses that may be called "stomach flu."

NONPRESCRIPTION INHALERS

These inhalers can be purchased at a drugstore without a prescription from a doctor, but it's important for you to talk to your doctor about an appropriate treatment option.

ALTERNATIVE TREATMENTS

If you're like many other people with asthma, you might have wondered about, and perhaps tried, alternative asthma treatments such as herbs or dietary supplements. Some supplements can interact with medications, and others may cause allergies. Before you decide to try them, be sure to tell your doctor.

patient video Greer On Her Treatment Plan

I have my rescue inhaler…it's there if I need it. But with my daily controller, my symptoms are kept at bay.

Different Treatments

: Medicines for Asthma