Ask The Expert

My husband has had asthma since he was a child. He has taken various forms of medication and he feels none of them work, so he only depends on his rescue inhaler. I'm worried about him especially because he uses the inhaler several times a day every day. Should he be on other medications to help him control his asthma and be less dependent on the inhaler?

That's a very important question. Asthma is a chronic inflammatory disorder affecting the air tubes (bronchioles) in the lungs. The most dangerous part about asthma is the swelling, inflammation, and extra mucous production, all of which cause the airways to become blocked. These problems need to be treated with anti-inflammatory medications, which control the asthma. Albuterol, which is an airway smooth muscle relaxer, gives rapid symptomatic relief, but no anti-inflammatory benefit. It's effects are felt almost immediately, however, leaving little doubt as to the benefit of albuterol. In contrast, the anti-inflammatory medications are not bronchodilators, so their effects are not immediately felt, leading some people to feel that they aren't working. The reality, however, is that the anti-inflammatory medications are the most important medications for asthma because they help to heal the lungs and help to prevent life threatening asthma attacks. Your husband sounds like he could be heading for difficulties with his asthma, and it's good that you're looking into this. He should see an asthma specialist, such as an allergist or pulmonologist.

Good luck, Dr. White

-- Dr. Martha Vetter White, MD, is cofounder and director of research at the Institute for Asthma &Allergy in the Washington, DC metropolitan area, one of the nation's most active clinical research centers devoted to allergy, asthma, and sinusitis.

First published August 25, 2004
Last updated June 23, 2008