Treatment and Action Plan

Quick-relief medicines help prevent or relieve symptoms during an asthma attack. They may be the only medicines needed for mild asthma or asthma that happens only with physical activity.

Your doctor will prescribe a quick-relief inhaler for you to carry at all times. Visit the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to learn how to use your asthma inhaler correctly.

Types of quick-relief medicines include:

• Inhaled short-acting beta2-agonists (SABAs) open the airways so air can flow through them during an asthma attack. Side effects can include tremors and rapid heartbeat.
• Oral corticosteroids reduce swelling in your airways caused by severe asthma symptoms.
• Short-acting anticholinergics help open the airways quickly. This medicine may be less effective than SABAs, but it is an option for people who may have side effects from SABAs.