Monday, June 04, 2012

Table of Contents

Alternative Names

Bronchial asthma; Exercise-induced asthma


Treatment

The goal of treatment is to avoid the substances that trigger your symptoms and control airway inflammation. You and your doctor should work together as a team to develop and carry out a plan for eliminating asthma triggers and monitoring symptoms.

For information on treating asthma in children, see: Pediatric asthma

There are two basic kinds of medication for treating asthma:

  • Control drugs to prevent attacks
  • Quick-relief drugs for use during attacks

Control drugs for asthma control your symptoms if you don't have mild asthma. You must take them every day for them to work. Take them even when you feel okay.

The most common control drugs are:

  • Inhaled corticosteroids (such as Asmanex, Alvesco, Qvar AeroBid, Flovent, Pulmicort) prevent symptoms by helping to keep your airways from swelling up.
  • Long-acting beta-agonist inhalers also help prevent asthma symptoms. Do not take long-acting beta-agonist inhaler drugs alone. These drugs are almost always used together with an inhaled steroid drug. It may be easier to use an inhaler that contains both drugs.

Other control drugs that may be used are:

  • Leukotriene inhibitors (such as Singulair and Accolate)
  • Omalizumab (Xolair)
  • Cromolyn sodium (Intal) or nedocromil sodium (Tilade)
  • Aminophylline or theophylline (rarely used anymore)

Quick-relief drugs work fast to control asthma symptoms:

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Review Date: 05/01/2011
Reviewed By: David Zieve, MD, MHA, Medical Director, A.D.A.M., Inc., and Denis Hadjiliadis, MD, Assistant Professor of Medicine, Division of Pulmonary, Allergy and Critical Care, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA.

A.D.A.M., Inc. is accredited by URAC, also known as the American Accreditation HealthCare Commission (www.urac.org)