This information is approved and/or reviewed by U-M Health System providers but it is not a tool for self-diagnosis or a substitute for medical treatment. You should speak to your physician or make an appointment to be seen if you have questions or concerns about this information or your medical condition.
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Asthma Medications
Long-term medications:
If taken regularly, they can help prevent asthma attacks but most aren't
helpful for an asthma attack that has already started
- Beclovent
- Vanceril
- Aerobid
- Azmacort
- Pulmacort
- Flovent
- Tilade
- Intal
Quick relief medications:
Often called bronchodilators. They can be used for an asthma attack that
has already started (they can help breathing return to normal)
- Albuterol
- Maxair
- Serevent
- Theophylline
- Prednisone
- Medrol
Inhalers
Many medications are given by inhalers. How do you use them?
- Shake the container well
- Stand or sit up straight
- Open mouth and hold the inhaler 1-2 inches away
- Push down on the container and breathe in (by mouth) for 3-5 seconds
- Hold breath for 10 seconds
- Breathe out
What if the person (especially a young kid) has a hard time using the inhaler properly? They can use a spacer (something that fits over the inhaler opening to help the medication get taken more easily) How do you use it?
- Attach it to the mouthpiece of the inhaler
- Put mouth around the other end of the spacer
- Push down on the inhaler and breathe in (by, mouth) for 3-5 seconds
- Hold breath for 10 seconds
- Breathe out
Nebulizers
What about using a nebulizer?
It's for:
- children who are too young to use inhalers properly (such as infants)
- people who have asthma symptoms so severe that it's hard for them to take big enough breaths for an inhaler to work
How do you use it? (Ask your health care provider or nurse to show you)
- Pour saline solution into the nebulizer cup (find out how much from your health care provider)
- Add the medication (find out how much)
- Attach the mouthpiece or mask to the cup (mask might be easier for young kids)
- Put mouth around the mouthpiece or put the mask on the child's face
- Take deep, slow breaths (if person can follow directions). Hold each one for 1-2 seconds before breathing out
- Continue breathing until all the medication in the cup is used up
- Rinse the cup and mouthpiece or mask after each use
*Using these medications too
much may be a sign that the current treatment plan isn't working and the
person should see their health care provider.
*Also it's important to check with the person's health care provider about
the best treatment plan and before using any over-the-counter asthma medications.
lt's important for kids who have asthma to be treated normally, like other kids, and to help them see themselves as-healthy, not sick.
How Severe is the Asthma?
1. Mild intermittent asthma:
- symptoms happen less than twice a week
- the attacks don't last long and the person is normal in between them
- the person doesn't really miss school or work because of asthma
Treatment: beta agonists when symptoms happen
2. Exercise induced asthma:
- symptoms happen when the person exercises
- it's caused by breathing in cooler and drier air during exercise
- the person should see a health care provider to check if they might have persistent asthma
Treatment: beta agonists when symptoms happen
3. Mild persisten asthma:
- symptoms happen more than twice a week
- the child may miss several days of school a month because of asthma
- the adult may miss several days of work regularly because of asthma
- the person may need to go the hospital/emergency room
Treatment: daily medications like:
- inhaled corticosteroids
- cromolyn
- beta agonists
4. Moderate persistent ashtma:
- symptoms happen every day
- the person's daily activities are affected and the asthma attacks may last several days
- children may miss school and adults may miss work because of their asthma
Treatment: daily medications like:
- inhaled corticosteroids (may need higher doses)
- cromolyn
- beta agonists (long-acting ones)
- person may need to see asthma specialist
5. Severe persistent asthma:
- the most worrisome form of asthma
- symptoms happen every day and are more severe
- children may miss school from several days a month to even weeks at a time
- adults may miss work from days to weeks at a time
- the person may go to the hospital/emergency room more often
- the person may not be able to do normal activities of the others around them
Treatment: daily medications:
- inhaled steroids (higher doses)
- may need steroids by mouth too
- cromolyn
- beta agonists
- person should see an asthma specialist
Deaths from asthma are not common and when they happen, it's usually when the asthma has become more severe and the person doesn't get to medical care.
How do you check how well the person is breathing?
By a peak flow meter (it's like a thermometer for asthma)
- it measures peak expiratory flow rate (PEFR) (how well air moves out of the lungs)
- helps tell when an asthma trigger is affecting the person's breathing
- helps tell if the treatment plan is working
- helps tell when an asthma attack is coming on
- can help diagnose exercise induced asthma
- can help recognize asthma happening during the night (asthma is usually worse at night evenif people aren't aware of it.Comparing the morning numbers of the peak flow meter with the before bed numbers can show the degree of nighttime asthma)
How do you use it? (Ask your health care provider to show you)
- Move the pointer to the lowest setting on the scale
- Stand up
- Take a very big breath
- Place the mouthpiece in mouth
- Close lips around the mouthpiece
- Blow out as hard and as fast as you can with one big blow
- Write down the number (PEFR) the meter shows
- Repeat steps 1-7 two more times
- Write down the highest of the 3 numbers you get (this is your peak flow)
What do the numbers on the Peak Flow Meter mean? (Once you find the personal best number, it's important to try to keep the range of meter readings within 80% of this number.)
Green Zone: PEFR 80%-100%
of personal best number
• person should be pretty much free of symptoms
• maintain current medication plan
Yellow Zone: PEFR 50-80%
of personal best number- CAUTION: asthma is worsening
• needs temporary increase in medications
• if person is on chronic (daily) medications, the amount may need
to be increased
• contact health provider to check this out
Red Zone: PEFR below 50%
of personal best number
• DANGER: asthma control isn't working
• use inhaled quick relief medications if even after medications,
the number doesn't go back to yellow zone, contact health provider immediately
If you would like to schedule an appointment in the Asthma Airways Clinic
at Briarwood Medical Group, please call 734-998-7207.
Asthma education information has been provided by Terence Joiner, M.D., M.H.S.A., medical director of Ypsilanti Pediatrics. Ypsilanti Pediatrics can be reached at 734-484-7288.
U-M
Health System Related Sites:
Asthma
and Airway Center