Being in Control of Asthma

Reducing airway inflammation in the lungs for better lung health

How well your lungs work can affect the things you do—that's why asthma control is so important. How well your asthma is controlled can make a difference in the long-term health of your lungs and how you live your life.

The good news is, asthma experts today agree that asthma can be successfully "controlled" in most people.¹ Asthma control means not simply responding to asthma symptoms but keeping asthma inflammation and constriction of airways from starting in the first place.

If your asthma is successfully under control with proper treatment, you should be able to do many of the things that you would be able to do if you did not have asthma. When your asthma is under control

You should have no asthma symptoms or very few symptoms during the day or at night¹
You shouldn’t have to limit your activities because of asthma symptoms¹
You shouldn’t have to miss work or school because of asthma symptoms¹
You should only need to use your rescue medication infrequently¹

Controlling Persistent Inflammation is Key to Asthma Control

Today the goal of successful asthma treatment is to control the persistent lung inflammation and ease the recurring constriction in your airways

Controlling this inflammation with proper treatment can help

Prevent symptoms of asthma from developing³
Improve day-to-day lung functioning²

Some experts believe this may reduce risk of damage to airways in the lungs.⁴ However, it is not known if any asthma medicine can prevent long-term damage to the lungs.

Controlling inflammation also makes the airways in the lungs less likely to constrict, helping to

Improve airflow
Limit the tight, tickling feeling in your chest

Some people may be able to control their asthma using a single-ingredient, long-term control medicine. Others with more moderate or severe asthma may need to take two kinds of asthma controller medications to control their asthma:

Anti-inflammatory medicine such as inhaled corticosteroids to help control the inflammation in the lungs²
Long-acting bronchodilator medicine to relax the muscles around the bronchial tubes to help ease constriction of the airways³

Both of these asthma medications are available in single and combination formulas that are used daily. If the asthma medication is stopped or not taken as prescribed, the inflammation and/or airway constriction will come back.

People with persistent asthma should talk to their doctor about long-term asthma control and the treatment that is right for them.

NEXT: Medicines to Control Inflammation & Ease Constriction

References

Schatz M, Ziegler RS, Vollmer WM, et al. The controller-to-total asthma medication ratio is associated with patient-centered as well as utilization outcomes. Chest. 2006; 130:43-50.
National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute. Quick Reference: NAEPP Expert Panel Report: Guidelines for the Diagnosis and Management of Asthma – Update on Selected Topics 2002. Bethesda, MD: National Institutes of Health; June 2002. NIH Publication 02-5075.
National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute. Disease and conditions index: How is asthma treated? Available at:http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/dci/Diseases/Asthma/Asthma_Treatments.html. Accessed October 24, 2006.
National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute. NAEPP Expert Panel Report: Guidelines for the Diagnosis and Management of Asthma. Bethesda, MD: National Institutes of Health; July 1997. NIH Publication 97-4051

This information is intended for US residents only.

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