There are various kinds of treatment options for asthma, which have proven to be helpful in managing the condition. While long-term treatment is necessary to keep asthma under control, there are quick fixes too, which help when a person has an asthma attack. Below is a list of the most prominent treatments.

Inhaled corticosteroids
These are anti-inflammatory medicines that can be taken using an inhaler. Some of these drugs are fluticasone, budesonide, flunisolide, ciclesonide, beclomethasone, and mometasone. These need to be used continuously for weeks to get the best results.

Leukotriene modifiers
These are oral medicines for controlling asthma and they are required to be used for the long-term. Some examples of these medicines are montelukast, zafirlukast, and zileuton. However, these may have certain side-effects, which include depression, aggression, and hallucination. These should not be taken without the doctor’s instructions.

Long-acting beta-agonists
This is another medicine that requires an inhaler. It is one of the long-term treatment options for asthma, but it can cause an asthma attack in some cases. Hence, it is advised that a person should only use them in addition to inhaled corticosteroids.

Combination inhalers
Combination inhalers come with a mix of corticosteroid and long-acting beta-agonist to lower the risk of asthma attacks. Some examples of it are fluticasone-salmeterol, budesonide-formoterol, and formoterol-mometasone.

Short-acting beta-agonists
These are medicines that you require to inhale in case of an asthma attack. They provide quick relief and can be taken with a nebulizer or a hand-held, portable inhaler.

Ipratropium (Atrovent)
It is one of the quick-action treatment options for asthma that helps to relax the airways so you can start to breathe easily again. It is primarily a treatment option for chronic bronchitis and emphysema but can be used for asthma too.

Intravenous and oral corticosteroids
If a person has severe asthma then intravenous and oral corticosteroids can be used during an asthma attack to help a person breathe by relieving the inflammation of the airways. Methylprednisolone and prednisone are two examples of these medicines.

Allergy shots
If one is prone to asthma attacks due to certain allergies then treating that can help too. The allergy shots are required to be used on a long-term basis to make sure that the immune system does not react to specific triggers.

Bronchial thermoplasty
If the regular long-term asthma treatments do not work, then bronchial thermoplasty can be an option. It is not helpful for everyone and is not easily available either. For this treatment, an electrode is used to heat up the insides of the airways, which are located in the lungs, to reduce its smooth muscle. This treatment limits the airways’ ability to tighten, which makes breathing easier.