Asthma is an inflammatory disease of the lungs that can result in coughing, difficulty breathing, wheezing, and/or a tight feeling in the chest. Asthma is especially prevalent in the United States. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), tens of millions of people suffer from asthma in the United States. Fortunately, there are multiple different types of medications available for asthma treatment.
Types
Asthma medications can be separated into two classes based upon the length of time required to have a clinical effect. The first type is quick-acting and is often called a rescue medication. The most common type of rescue medication is an inhaler that can cause immediate relief of asthma symptoms. A second type of asthma medication is slower in relieving asthma symptoms, but treats the underlying causes of asthma attacks, such as inflammation and muscle contraction.
Albuterol Inhalers
Albuterol inhalers, also called "rescue inhalers," relieve asthma symptoms immediately by treating the muscle constriction that tightens the airways and makes it difficult to breathe. Albuterol is called a "bronchodilator," because it dilates, or opens, the airways (bronchi). However, makers of the albuterol inhaler Proventil (Schering-Plough Corp.) warn against taking more than the recommended dose. Thus, if asthma symptoms are not completely controlled by one dose of the albuterol inhaler, Schering-Plough recommends that further treatment by a doctor may be necessary.
Corticosteroids
Inhaled corticosteroids treat asthma by a different mechanism than albuterol. Corticoteroids lessen the underlying inflammation present in the lungs of asthmatics. According to GlaxoSmithKline, the makers of Flovent, corticosteroid inhalers lessen the frequency and intensity of asthma symptoms. However, GlaxoSmithKline notes that corticosteroid inhalers do not immediately treat asthma symptoms, and thus are not considered rescue medications. Thus, steroid inhalers are part of the second class of medications in which the medication is long-acting.
Combination Inhalers
Combination inhalers are a third type of medication that treats asthma in two different ways. The combination inhaler Advair combines two different types of medications: (1) corticosteroids that reduce inflammation in the lungs over the long term, and (2) beta-adrenergic agonists, which serve as long-term bronchodilators. Again, this type of medication does not treat asthma symptoms immediately, and cannot serve as a rescue inhaler. Because combination inhalers are not rescue inhalers, GlaxoSmithKline also advises that asthma sufferers using combination inhalers also have a rescue inhaler on hand for sudden asthma symptoms.
Leukotriene Receptor Antagonists
Another class of asthma medication is leukotriene receptor antagonists. Leukotrienes are molecules that are released in the body during inflammation, such as during an asthma attack. An example of this type of medication is Singulair. According to Merck, the makers of Singulair, leukotriene receptor antagonists inhibit this inflammatory pathway, and thus lessen the inflammation in the lungs that contribute to asthma attacks. Though they target a different pathway of inflammation than corticosteroids and beta-adrenergic antagonists, leukotriene receptor antagonists are long-acting and cannot be used as rescue medications.
