Which drugs asthma patients need, when to use them, and how much to use depend largely on the character of their illness, as shown by the degree of breathing impairment, and the frequency and severity of acute attacks. Asthma experts agree, however, that the first line of defense is avoidance of whatever brings on an acute asthma episode. In other cases, the triggers cannot be identified, even after a thorough investigation. Asthma Drugs Knowing what provokes an asthma attack is critically important in prevention, but it's often difficult or impractical to avoid contact with triggering irritants. Today, however, physicians can prescribe drugs to lessen the risk of acute attacks after exposure to an offending irritant, as well as halt attacks that can't be prevented.
Some drugs do both.
They don't provide immediate relief of symptoms, but their preventive action persists for many hours, which makes them useful in controlling attacks that might occur during hours of sleep. Drugs to bring quick relief in acute asthma attacks are chiefly short-acting inhaled bronchodilators that act rapidly but for a relatively brief time to relax bronchial constriction. Although these drugs are effective in treating asthma, there is some controversy about their safety, especially when they are overused. Scientific debate makes it clear, however, that an increasing need for inhaled bronchodilators, or a decreasing response to each dose, is a signal that the patient's asthma is not being adequately controlled. Patients who have an increasing need for short-acting inhaled bronchodilators should be reevaluated promptly by their physicians.