CAMAF Member Option Guides & Info

8 reLievers • Relievers are medicines that children can take immediately when asthma symptoms appear. They quickly relax the muscles surrounding the narrowed airways. This allows the airways to open wider, making it easier to breathe again. • Relievers are essential in treating asthma attacks. Your child should take a dose of reliever inhaler when they start having asthma symptoms. • Children with asthma need to keep their reliever inhalers with them or close at hand at all times. You may never know when they might need it. • If your child is using their reliever inhaler three or more times a week, it could mean their asthma is not controlled properly. Ask your doctor to review your child's asthma. examples of relievers are: Ventolin, asthavent, Combivent, and Venteze COnTrOLLers • These are prescribed if your child has symptoms more than twice a week or using their reliever inhaler three or more times a week. • These control the swelling and inflammation in the airways, stopping them from being so sensitive and reducing the risk of severe attacks. • This means that your child is less likely to react badly when she/he comes in contact with an asthma trigger. • Controller medicines help to lessen the frequency and severity of episodes over time. • The protective effect builds up over a period of time so they need to be taken every day (usually morning and evening) even when your child is feeling well. • The controller inhalers usually contain a low dose of corticosteroid medicine and therefore generally safe when taken as directed. • Low doses of inhaled corticosteroids do not cause side effects and have no effect on growth. • There are several kinds of inhaled corticosteroids, but they all work in the same way • When your child first starts using them, it may take up to 14 days before you notice any improvement in asthma symptoms. • Some examples of inhaled corticosteroid pumps available are Budeflam, Flixotide, Inflammide OTher meDiCines AnD COnTrOLLer TABLeTs • In addition to relievers and corticosteroid inhalers, other types of asthma medicine are also available. These include long-acting relievers and non-steroidal preventer tablets. These are usually used in addition to inhaled corticosteroids • Some such examples are Foradil, Oxis, Serevent pumps and Singulair tablets. • Combined therapy medicine (inhaled) contains both a controller and long acting reliever medicine (such as Serevent). Long-acting reliever inhalers should only be used if you are also taking a corticosteroid inhaler. They are an add-on therapy and should not be used on their own to treat asthma. This combination of a long-acting bronchodilator and corticosteroid is used for long-term control. some such examples are seretide and symbicord.

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