Also called “preventive medicine”, this has anti-inflammatory properties that can help keep your asthma under control. It targets both domains of asthma control i.e. symptoms and risk. It is designed to prevent the thin membrane inside your airways (breathing tubes) from getting swollen or filled with mucous. It does not give immediate relief, but when used over a period of time, it controls the redness, swelling and mucous production. This makes it easier for air to flow in and out of your lungs. Controllers contain a low dose of an inhaled corticosteroid, which makes them safe. Your doctor may decide to increase and adjust controller medicines when your asthma symptoms get worse and they help to prevent attacks.
f you’ve got asthma, there are medicines called as reliever, that are taken only as needed. They can give you quick relief and make breathing easier. They work by relaxing your muscles and open up your airways so you can breathe better. But there’s another side to this – they work only for a short time, say 4-6 hours. They only help to relieve your symptoms but cannot reverse the inflammation (swelling) in your airways that are the actual cause of these increased symptoms. So if you find yourself using your reliever a lot, it could mean that your asthma isn’t under control. That’s when you should talk to your doctor in order to figure out a better plan. But don’t forget – always have your reliever, as advised by your doctor, with you when you’re out and about. It can truly save the day if you ever have trouble breathing.
This is a treatment regimen in which the patient uses an ICS-formoterol inhaler every day (known as a maintenance dose) and also uses the same medication as needed for relief of asthma symptoms (known as reliever doses). This can be used only with ICS-formoterol inhalers and as per the advice of your doctor.
P.S: Inhalers are widely considered to be the best way to treat asthma and are safe to use. If you have asthma, consider using inhalers regularly as advised by your doctor, to breathe properly and lead a normal, active life.
References: GINA 2023 - https://ginasthma.org/2023-gina-main-report/
