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Child Asthma: Asthma Medications for Kids

The American Lung Association recommends the following medications for children with asthma:

Inhaled Bronchodilator Medications

Inhaled bronchodilators help open airways narrowed by asthma. For children with mild asthma, this is often the only medication they need. Inhaled bronchodilators have also proven to be the bronchodilator medicine of choice for moderate and severe asthma when combined with other medications.

Anti-Inflammatory Medications

The National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute (NHLBI) recommends children with mild persistent, moderate or severe asthma take anti-inflammatory medications daily to help control airway inflammation. Anti-inflammatory medications must be taken regularly to remain effective.

Systemic Corticosteroid Medications

These medications help control asthma and reverse severe episodes. They can cause serious side effects when used for long periods of time, so it's important to limit the use of these medications to when your child is suffering from a severe episode or chronic severe asthma.

Inhaled Medication Delivery Systems

Inhalers: These must be used properly to be effective. Approximately half of asthma patients do not properly use their inhaler, so a "spacer" can be helpful. Spacers allow the metered dose inhaler to first spray into the spacer and then the patient breathes in the medication from the spacer itself. Spacers often significantly improve the effectiveness of inhalers.

Pulmonary nebulizer machines or "nebulizers":
Nebulizers are used to give routine medication treatments of inhaled bronchodilators or cromolyn to very young children who have difficulty using metered dose inhalers and spacers.