Following a diagnosis of asthma, your first step should be to work with your doctor to develop a treatment plan. As part of this plan, the physician might ask you to keep a daily diary, noting environmental and emotional factors that bring on asthma episodes. This not only will help the doctor monitor the disease but will help you recognize and avoid your asthma triggers. As with any medical condition, prevention is the best approach. To treat asthma medicinally, doctors generally prescribe bronchodilators, drugs that help relax the muscles that tighten around the airways.
Bronchodilators also help clear mucus from the lungs.
Doctors usually prefer inhaled bronchodilators because they are delivered directly to the lungs, and because they use 1,000 times less medicine than oral forms. Bronchodilators are potent drugs. If overused, they can cause dangerous side effects, such as high blood pressure. If you are using your bronchodilator too often, talk to your doctor. Your asthma needs to be controlled better.