Asthma Medicines There are two types of medicines for treating asthma. They are called rescue (quick-relief) medicines and controller medicines. Rescue medicines Everyone with asthma needs a rescue medicine. Use it at the first signs of an asthma flare-up. A rescue medicine:
May be an inhaler or a nebulizer (aerosol)
Works very quickly to make it easier for your child to breathe, but it lasts for a short time
Helps to open airways right away
Should not be needed more than 2 times per week
May not work for a flare-up in patients who use it more than 2 times per week
May be used 15 to 20 minutes before exercising or playing
Controller medicines Most people with asthma also need one or more controller medicines. A controller medicine:
Helps prevent asthma symptoms and flare-ups
Is taken every day even if feeling well
Works to reduce the swelling and the mucus in the airways
Does NOT help during an asthma flare-up
Tips
Use a rescue medicine as directed by the doctor.
Keep your rescue inhaler and spacer with you at all times.Take your controller medicine every day as directed by your doctor, even when you feel fine.
See the specific asthma medicine sheets. It will tell you how and when to take your asthma medicine, possible side effects, and important things to remember. Ask your nurse or respiratory therapist if you did not receive these.
Refill your controller medicine every 1 or 2 months. Ask your pharmacist how often if you are not sure.
Use your Asthma Action Plan. It will tell you when and how to take each medicine.Use an asthma diary to keep track of symptoms and how often you use your rescue medicine.
Sit down with your doctor to develop an Asthma Action Plan. It will tell you when and how to take each medicine.
Tell your teacher, coach and school nurse that you have asthma.
Steroids and Asthma During an asthma flare-up, the airways swell and fill with mucus. Steroids are medicines used to prevent or treat this swelling. The steroids used to treat asthma are NOT the same steroids that some people take to build muscles. There are two kinds of steroids used to treat asthma:
Inhaled steroids are sprays or mists that are breathed into the lungs.
Oral steroids are a tablet or liquid taken by mouth.
Inhaled steroid medicines
Are used every day, even when feeling well
Prevent asthma symptoms and flare-ups
Reduce swelling in the airways
Help to reduce coughing and wheezing
Go straight into the airways. This means fewer side effects
Be sure your child rinses his mouth after every use.
Steroids by mouth
Are powerful medicines used to treat serious asthma flare-ups
Are taken only for a few days
May cause a lot of side effects
Note: The steroids used to treat asthma are NOT the same steroids that some people take to build muscles.
Asthma Medicines There are two types of medicines for treating asthma. They are called rescue (quick-relief) medicines and controller medicines. Rescue medicines Everyone with asthma needs a rescue medicine. Use it at the first signs of an asthma flare-up. A rescue medicine:
May be an inhaler or a nebulizer (aerosol)
Works very quickly to make it easier for your child to breathe, but it lasts for a short time
Helps to open airways right away
Should not be needed more than 2 times per week
May not work for a flare-up in patients who use it more than 2 times per week
May be used 15 to 20 minutes before exercising or playing
Controller medicines Most people with asthma also need one or more controller medicines. A controller medicine:
Helps prevent asthma symptoms and flare-ups
Is taken every day even if feeling well
Works to reduce the swelling and the mucus in the airways
Does NOT help during an asthma flare-up
Tips
Use a rescue medicine as directed by the doctor.
Keep your rescue inhaler and spacer with you at all times.Take your controller medicine every day as directed by your doctor, even when you feel fine.
See the specific asthma medicine sheets. It will tell you how and when to take your asthma medicine, possible side effects, and important things to remember. Ask your nurse or respiratory therapist if you did not receive these.
Refill your controller medicine every 1 or 2 months. Ask your pharmacist how often if you are not sure.
Use your Asthma Action Plan. It will tell you when and how to take each medicine.Use an asthma diary to keep track of symptoms and how often you use your rescue medicine.
Sit down with your doctor to develop an Asthma Action Plan. It will tell you when and how to take each medicine.
Tell your teacher, coach and school nurse that you have asthma.
Steroids and Asthma During an asthma flare-up, the airways swell and fill with mucus. Steroids are medicines used to prevent or treat this swelling. The steroids used to treat asthma are NOT the same steroids that some people take to build muscles. There are two kinds of steroids used to treat asthma:
Inhaled steroids are sprays or mists that are breathed into the lungs.
Oral steroids are a tablet or liquid taken by mouth.
Inhaled steroid medicines
Are used every day, even when feeling well
Prevent asthma symptoms and flare-ups
Reduce swelling in the airways
Help to reduce coughing and wheezing
Go straight into the airways. This means fewer side effects
Be sure your child rinses his mouth after every use.
Steroids by mouth
Are powerful medicines used to treat serious asthma flare-ups
Are taken only for a few days
May cause a lot of side effects
Note: The steroids used to treat asthma are NOT the same steroids that some people take to build muscles.
Asthma Medicines There are two types of medicines for treating asthma. They are called rescue (quick-relief) medicines and controller medicines. Rescue medicines Everyone with asthma needs a rescue medicine. Use it at the first signs of an asthma flare-up. A rescue medicine:
May be an inhaler or a nebulizer (aerosol)
Works very quickly to make it easier for your child to breathe, but it lasts for a short time
Helps to open airways right away
Should not be needed more than 2 times per week
May not work for a flare-up in patients who use it more than 2 times per week
May be used 15 to 20 minutes before exercising or playing
Controller medicines Most people with asthma also need one or more controller medicines. A controller medicine:
Helps prevent asthma symptoms and flare-ups
Is taken every day even if feeling well
Works to reduce the swelling and the mucus in the airways
Does NOT help during an asthma flare-up
Tips
Use a rescue medicine as directed by the doctor.
Keep your rescue inhaler and spacer with you at all times.Take your controller medicine every day as directed by your doctor, even when you feel fine.
See the specific asthma medicine sheets. It will tell you how and when to take your asthma medicine, possible side effects, and important things to remember. Ask your nurse or respiratory therapist if you did not receive these.
Refill your controller medicine every 1 or 2 months. Ask your pharmacist how often if you are not sure.
Use your Asthma Action Plan. It will tell you when and how to take each medicine.Use an asthma diary to keep track of symptoms and how often you use your rescue medicine.
Sit down with your doctor to develop an Asthma Action Plan. It will tell you when and how to take each medicine.
Tell your teacher, coach and school nurse that you have asthma.
Steroids and Asthma During an asthma flare-up, the airways swell and fill with mucus. Steroids are medicines used to prevent or treat this swelling. The steroids used to treat asthma are NOT the same steroids that some people take to build muscles. There are two kinds of steroids used to treat asthma:
Inhaled steroids are sprays or mists that are breathed into the lungs.
Oral steroids are a tablet or liquid taken by mouth.
Inhaled steroid medicines
Are used every day, even when feeling well
Prevent asthma symptoms and flare-ups
Reduce swelling in the airways
Help to reduce coughing and wheezing
Go straight into the airways. This means fewer side effects
Be sure your child rinses his mouth after every use.
Steroids by mouth
Are powerful medicines used to treat serious asthma flare-ups
Are taken only for a few days
May cause a lot of side effects
Note: The steroids used to treat asthma are NOT the same steroids that some people take to build muscles.
Asthma Medicines
There are two types of medicines for treating asthma. They are called rescue (quick-relief) medicines and controller medicines.
Rescue medicines
Everyone with asthma needs a rescue medicine. Use it at the first signs of an asthma flare-up. A rescue medicine:
- May be an inhaler or a nebulizer (aerosol)
- Works very quickly to make it easier for your child to breathe, but it lasts for a short time
- Helps to open airways right away
- Should not be needed more than 2 times per week
- May not work for a flare-up in patients who use it more than 2 times per week
- May be used 15 to 20 minutes before exercising or playing
Controller medicines
Most people with asthma also need one or more controller medicines. A controller medicine:
May be an inhaler or a nebulizer (aerosol)
Works very quickly to make it easier for your child to breathe, but it lasts for a short time
Helps to open airways right away
Should not be needed more than 2 times per week
May not work for a flare-up in patients who use it more than 2 times per week
May be used 15 to 20 minutes before exercising or playing
- Helps prevent asthma symptoms and flare-ups
- Is taken every day even if feeling well
- Works to reduce the swelling and the mucus in the airways
- Does NOT help during an asthma flare-up
Tips
- Use a rescue medicine as directed by the doctor.
- Keep your rescue inhaler and spacer with you at all times.Take your controller medicine every day as directed by your doctor, even when you feel fine.
- See the specific asthma medicine sheets. It will tell you how and when to take your asthma medicine, possible side effects, and important things to remember. Ask your nurse or respiratory therapist if you did not receive these.
- Refill your controller medicine every 1 or 2 months. Ask your pharmacist how often if you are not sure.
- Use your Asthma Action Plan. It will tell you when and how to take each medicine.Use an asthma diary to keep track of symptoms and how often you use your rescue medicine.
- Sit down with your doctor to develop an Asthma Action Plan. It will tell you when and how to take each medicine.
- Tell your teacher, coach and school nurse that you have asthma.
Steroids and Asthma
During an asthma flare-up, the airways swell and fill with mucus. Steroids are medicines used to prevent or treat this swelling. The steroids used to treat asthma are NOT the same steroids that some people take to build muscles.
Helps prevent asthma symptoms and flare-ups
Is taken every day even if feeling well
Works to reduce the swelling and the mucus in the airways
Does NOT help during an asthma flare-up
Use a rescue medicine as directed by the doctor.
Keep your rescue inhaler and spacer with you at all times.Take your controller medicine every day as directed by your doctor, even when you feel fine.
See the specific asthma medicine sheets. It will tell you how and when to take your asthma medicine, possible side effects, and important things to remember. Ask your nurse or respiratory therapist if you did not receive these.
Refill your controller medicine every 1 or 2 months. Ask your pharmacist how often if you are not sure.
Use your Asthma Action Plan. It will tell you when and how to take each medicine.Use an asthma diary to keep track of symptoms and how often you use your rescue medicine.
Sit down with your doctor to develop an Asthma Action Plan. It will tell you when and how to take each medicine.
Tell your teacher, coach and school nurse that you have asthma.
There are two kinds of steroids used to treat asthma:
- Inhaled steroids are sprays or mists that are breathed into the lungs.
- Oral steroids are a tablet or liquid taken by mouth.
Inhaled steroid medicines
- Are used every day, even when feeling well
- Prevent asthma symptoms and flare-ups
- Reduce swelling in the airways
- Help to reduce coughing and wheezing
- Go straight into the airways. This means fewer side effects
- Be sure your child rinses his mouth after every use.
Steroids by mouth
- Are powerful medicines used to treat serious asthma flare-ups
- Are taken only for a few days
- May cause a lot of side effects
Note: The steroids used to treat asthma are NOT the same steroids that some people take to build muscles.
Inhaled steroids are sprays or mists that are breathed into the lungs.
Oral steroids are a tablet or liquid taken by mouth.
Are used every day, even when feeling well
Prevent asthma symptoms and flare-ups
Reduce swelling in the airways
Help to reduce coughing and wheezing
Go straight into the airways. This means fewer side effects
Be sure your child rinses his mouth after every use.
Are powerful medicines used to treat serious asthma flare-ups
Are taken only for a few days
May cause a lot of side effects
