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.
