The treatment of asthma will be tailored to the needs of your child but the aim is to alleviate all of the symptoms of asthma. Over time the medication required to control asthma can vary and your doctor will "step up" or "step down" treatment at intervals of approximately three months. The main steps of asthma treatment are:
Step 1 Inhaled salbutamol as required
Step 2 Step 1+ regular inhaled steroid
Step 3 Step 2 +/- long acting Beta agonist
Step 4 Step 2+/- long acting Beta agonist + leukotriene inhibitor or Theophylline
Step 5 All of the above + Oral steroid medications
The above is only a guide, the exact combinations can vary depending upon the age of your child and the response to treatments. Most patients fall into step 1 and step 2 treatment.
Full guidance is available from the British Thoracic Society:
http://www.brit-thoracic.org.uk/Portals/0/Guidelines/AsthmaGuidelines/sign101%20revised%20June%2009.pdf
Click the buttons below to access further information on the different types of treatments available for asthma. There is also two videos demonstrating inhaler technique:
