Asthma Medicines: Quick Relief

If your child has asthma, there are two types of medication that can help manage their symptoms. These include quick-relief medicines to treat asthma symptoms and controller medicines to prevent symptoms.

What are quick-relief asthma medicines?

Quick-relief asthma medicines can help open their airways fast, easing symptoms such as wheezing or chest tightness. Also called "rescue" or reliever medicine, they are meant for short-term use as needed. Types of quick-relief asthma medications include:

Bronchodilators

The most common quick-relief medication is albuterol given by an inhaler with a spacer or with a nebulizer. However, there are other quick relief asthma medication options. These include levalbuterol- or formoterol-containing products. These medicines relax the muscles around the airways to open them when someone is having symptoms of an asthma flare-up.

Oral corticoseroids

Your child's doctor may also recommend having an oral corticosteroid medicine (pill or liquid) handy in case your child has a moderate to severe asthma flare-up. Sometimes, your child will take oral steroids, such as prednisone, by mouth for a short period.

Use is limited because side effects of oral steroids can include mood swings, increased appetite, nausea, weight gain and behavior changes. If oral steroids are taken over a longer period, the immune system can become suppressed.

Forms & examples of quick-relief medicines

Note: Products are mentioned for informational purposes only and do not imply an endorsement by the American Academy of Pediatrics. Your doctor or pharmacist can provide you with important safety information for the products listed and can let you know about medicines that are no longer available or new medicines.

More information

• Medications to Treat Asthma in Children

• What is an Asthma Action Plan?
  

• AAP Asthma Action Tracker