Asthma Management

Please see this very useful information to help with managing your Asthma:

Understanding Asthma

Patient.co.uk Asthma

Treatment & Management

• A reliever inhaler is taken as required to ease symptoms. The medicine in a reliever inhaler relaxes the muscle in the airways. This makes the airways open wider and symptoms usually quickly ease. These medicines are also called bronchodilators, as they widen (dilate) the bronchi and airways (bronchioles). There are several different reliever medicines - for example: salbutamol and terbutaline. These come in various brands made by different companies. If you only have symptoms every now and then, the occasional use of a reliever inhaler may be all that you need. However, if you need a reliever inhaler three times a week or more to ease symptoms, a preventer inhaler is usually advised.
• A preventer inhaler is taken every day to prevent symptoms from developing. The medicine commonly used in preventer inhalers is a steroid. There are various brands. Steroids work by reducing the inflammation in the airways. When the inflammation has gone, the airways are much less likely to become narrow and cause symptoms. It takes 7-14 days for the steroid in a preventer inhaler to build up its effect. Therefore, it will not give any immediate relief of symptoms. However, after a week or so of treatment, the symptoms have often gone, or are much reduced. It can take up to six weeks for maximum benefit. You should then continue with the preventer inhaler every day even when your symptoms have gone - to prevent symptoms from coming back. You should then not need to use a reliever inhaler very often (if at all).

Your Personal Asthma Action Management Plan

Asthma Plan Leaflet