Inhalers, treatment and medicines

  

Although there's no cure for asthma, there are effective medicines for asthma that allow most people to control their asthma so that is doesn't interfere with daily life.

As asthma is a lifelong condition and attacks can happen unexpectedly, it's important that you take your asthma medicine as directed. Your doctor or asthma nurse should have explained how to use your inhalers properly, so that every dose you take gives you the most benefit.

Reliever inhalers

Relievers are medicines that are taken immediately to relieve asthma symptoms. They quickly relax the muscles surrounding the narrowed airways.

Preventer inhalers

Preventers control the swelling and inflammation in the airways, stopping them from being so sensitive and reducing the risk of severe attacks.

Other treatments

If your regular preventer medicine and occasional use of your reliever inhaler does not control your asthma you should make an appointment with your doctor or asthma nurse to have a review.

Using your inhalers

Using an inhaler is the most common way of taking asthma medicines. It is also a very effective way because inhaling the medicine takes it straight into your lungs.

Steroid tablets

Asthma may go through good and bad patches, and when asthma becomes severe there is increased inflammation in the airways.

Spacers

A spacer is a large plastic or metal container, with a mouthpiece at one end and a hole for the aerosol inhaler at the other.

Nebulisers

A nebuliser is a machine that creates a mist of medicine, which is then breathed in through a mask or mouthpiece.

Side effects of asthma medicines

The possibility of side effects from taking your inhaled preventer medicine is very low.

Flu vaccinations

Colds and flu are triggers for around 90% of people with asthma - if you haven't been invited by your GP practice to have a flu vaccine by the end of September, get in touch with your surgery to ask for one.

Pre-payment certificates

If you live in England, you will have to pay for your asthma medicines. This means that every item prescribed by a doctor will cost the standard prescription charge.

Bronchial Thermoplasty

This is a new procedure designed to reduce the symptoms of asthma and to reduce the risk of asthma attacks that can occur in moderate to severe asthma.

Non-steroidal inhalers

These non-steroidal alternatives are considered to be less effective preventer therapies but they may be of value in treating allergic asthma.

Complementary therapies

Complementary therapies and treatments should only ever be used alongside your prescribed medicines - it's very important that you don't stop taking or change your normal asthma medicines unless your doctor advises you.