Medications
Medications are an important part of controlling asthma. Each person's needs are different, so an individual medication plan is very important. Asthma medications come in many different forms, such as tablets, aerosols, liquids, and powders. Although drug companies sell asthma medicines under many brand names, there are only a few major types of asthma medicines: steroids, bronchodilators, and adrenaline.

	Steroids are a group of anti-inflammatory drugs. They help reduce or stop inflammatory reactions in the airways. Steroids can be extremely helpful in treating severe asthma but when taken by mouth they can have many side effects.
	Bronchodilators relax and open airways that tighten during an asthma episode. Inhaled bronchodilators are breathed into the lungs and are widely used in treating asthma. Oral bronchodilators are made up in treating asthma. Oral bronchodilators are made up in tablet form and work more slowly than the inhaled drugs.
	Adrenaline is one of the most powerful drugs for helping to open the airways. Its action is strong but brief and is used to treat severe asthma episodes only.