Controller Medications

(En español: Medicamentos de control)

Say: kun-troh-ler med-ih-kay-shuns

Many people with asthma need to take medication every day to control their asthma. This may seem strange because why should people take medicine when they're feeling fine? But there's a good reason. Controller medications work by keeping the airways in the lungs open and clear, which makes it easier to breathe. But these medicines work slow, not fast. It may take days or weeks for them to do their job. That's why a person with asthma needs to take them regularly. That gives these medicines a chance to get working, so they can keep airways from getting swollen and narrow.