Bronchodilators are the type of asthma medicine that’s used to help open your narrowed airways. They can help relieve coughing, wheezing, shortness of breath, or trouble breathing. The types of bronchodilators are beta-agonists, theophylline, and anticholinergics. These come as inhaled medicine, pills, liquids, and injections. The most common type of quick-relief medicine is inhaled by mouth. An inhaler sends out medicine in a mist, which you breathe into your lungs.

The medicines are known as bronchodilators. They help relax muscles in and around the tightened airways so that the airways reopen. In some cases, they may block a chemical called acetylcholine. Acetylcholine can cause your chest muscles to contract. It also causes your lungs to make more mucus. This leads to an asthma attack. Blocking this chemical can ease these symptoms.

The sooner you take quick-relief medicine at the start of asthma symptoms, the faster the asthma will be back under control. Waiting may make symptoms worse and harder to control.

The effects of the medicine last for only about 2 to 3 hours. Quick-relief medicine is taken to ease sudden asthma symptoms. Other medicines are used for long-term control of inflammation and other things that can cause symptoms.

It should be used only as often as your health care provider tells you to. If you need to use it more often than prescribed, you need to talk with your health care provider. You may need other medicine and lifestyle changes to help control your asthma on a long-term basis. If you are using your quick-relief medicine for asthma symptoms more than twice a week, see your health care provider.

Some asthma medicines can leave you feeling shaky, excited, and nervous. Your heart rate may get faster. You may have trouble sleeping. Many people with asthma who have these feelings may not realize that these feelings are caused by their medicine. The quick-relief medicines that may cause these side effects are called beta-2 agonists. The pill or syrup forms are more likely to cause side effects. Keep taking your medicines as directed, but talk with your health care provider about any side effects you have. He or she may be able to change your medicines, if needed.

You may be given long-term medicine to help prevent asthma attacks. Your health care provider may also prescribe oral corticosteroids to take for a short time. These may be given in pill or liquid form during times you have flare-ups with your asthma. This medicine may prevent swelling of the airways. It may also reduce mucus in the lungs. Long-term medicine doesn’t give fast relief, but it’s often used with a quick-relief inhaler to better control your asthma. Long-term control medicine is taken every day to treat chronic inflammation. This type of medicine treats the cause of asthma rather than the symptoms.

Quick-relief asthma medicines don’t stop symptoms from coming back. Only long-term asthma control medicines can do this. Some people with severe or repeated asthma attacks may use both types of medicines to control their asthma.

Carry your quick-relief medication with you. If you can, keep a spare quick-relief inhaler at work, at school, or in your gym bag. When you travel, make sure you have enough medication to last for your entire trip. When traveling by air, keep your medications with you, not packed in your luggage.

It can be tricky to tell when the container is empty. Not all inhalers are the same. Some have counters to show how much you’ve used. Others do not. Make sure you know how to tell how much medicine is left in your inhaler. Ask your doctor or pharmacist, or check the instructions that come in the inhaler package for this information.