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</ iframe > </noscript> <!-- End Google Tag Manager (noscript) --><div id="header"> <div id="CClogo"><a href="https://www.cookchildrens.org"><span class="srText">Cook Children's</span></a></div> <div id="CCsearch"> <form id="searchform" name="searchform" method="GET" onsubmit="return (this.q.value == '') ? false : true;" action="/CookChildrens/en/parents/"> <input type="hidden" name="search" value="y"/> <input type="hidden" name="getfields" value="description"/> <input type="search" class="search" name="q" id="q" maxlength="256" autocomplete="off" autocorrect="off" placeholder="Search"/> <input type="hidden" name="datasource" value="cookchildrens"> <input type="hidden" name="start" value="0"> <input type="hidden" name="rows" value="10"> <input type="hidden" name="lang" value="english"> <input type="hidden" name="section" value="parents_teens_kids"> <input type="submit" value="" id="searchButton" class="buttonImage"/> </form> </div> </div> <!-- If we have main navigation separated then it will reside here --> <div id="thelou" tabindex="-1"> </div> <div id="mainContentContainer" class="kh-article-page"> <div id="rsSearchBrowse"> <div id="rsBrowse" role="navigation"> </div> <div id="rsSearch"> <div id="rsSectionLabel">teens</div> </div> </div> <div id="khContentHeading" class="ar licH"> <h1>Definition: Quick-Relief Medicine</h1> </div> <div id="khcontent"> <div id="khcontent_article" style=""><!--googleoff:all--> <div id="languagePairLink" class="rs_skip"><a href="/CookChildrens/es/teens/rescue.html?WT.ac=pairedLink"><span class="pairedURLHead" lang="es">en español<img src="/images/n00/icons/langPairArrow.svg" alt=""></span><span class="pairedURLBody" lang="es">Medicamentos de alivio rápido</span></a></div> <!--googleon:all--><!--googleon:all--><div class="rte-image"><!--<sly data-sly-test.buttonBorder="khb-noborder"></sly> --><h4><strong>Quick-Relief Medicine</strong></h4><p>Quick-relief medicines (also called rescue or fast-acting medicines) are asthma medicines that work fast to stop someone from wheezing, coughing, and feeling shortness of breath. Most quick-relief medicines are inhaled so the medicine gets straight into the lungs where it's needed. The medicine relaxes the muscle around the airways so the airways widen and are better able to move air in and out of the lungs. Quick-relief medicines wear off fast. They may not be enough to keep someone's asthma under control. That's why some people also need a <a href="/CookChildrens/en/teens/controller.html">long-term control</a> medicine to keep the airways from getting swollen in the first place.</p></div><!--googleoff:all--></div> </div> <div id="kh_lic_footer"> <nav aria-label="Content info"> <ul id="kh_lic_footer_links"> <li><a href="/CookChildrens/en/teens/editorial-policy-licensee.html">Editorial Policy</a></li> <li><a href="/CookChildrens/en/teens/policy-licensees.html">Privacy Policy & Terms of Use</a></li> <li><a href="/CookChildrens/en/teens/copyright.html">Copyright</a></li> </ul> </nav> <div id="kh_lic_footer_legalease"> <p><img lang="en" alt="A TeensHealth Education Partner" src="/images/n00/logos/THeduPartner3.svg"> Note: All information is for educational purposes only. For specific medical advice, diagnoses, and treatment, consult your doctor. </p> <p>© 1995-<script>document.write(KHcopyDate);</script> KidsHealth® All rights reserved.</p> <div class="imageDisclaimer"> <p> Images provided by The Nemours Foundation, iStock, Getty Images, Veer, Shutterstock, and Clipart.com. </p> </div> </div> </div> </div> <div id="footer"> <p><a href="http://www.cookchildrens.org"><span class="srText">Cook Children's</span></a></p> <p>Copyright <script type="text/javascript" language="JavaScript"> document.write(KHcopyDate) </script> by <nobr>Cook Children's Health Care System</nobr>, <nobr>Fort Worth, Texas</nobr></p> </div> <script src="/misc/javascript/n00/nitro-main.js"></script><script src="/misc/javascript/n00/n00_art.js"></script><script src="/misc/javascript/kh_footJS_common.js"> </script><script src="/misc/javascript/kh_footJS_desktop.js"> </script><script> var kidsHealthSearchHandler = "/CookChildrens/en/teens/"; // KidsHealth custom search handler var kidsHealthLicID = "403"; </script><script> function downloadJSAtOnload(deferredScriptPath) { var element = document.createElement('script'); element.src = deferredScriptPath; document.body.appendChild(element); } if (window.addEventListener) { window.addEventListener('load', downloadJSAtOnload('/misc/javascript/kh_deferredJS.js'), false); } else if (window.attachEvent) { window.attachEvent('onload', downloadJSAtOnload('/misc/javascript/kh_deferredJS.js'), false); } else { window.onload = downloadJSAtOnload('/misc/javascript/kh_deferredJS.js'); } </script><script> textSizer('1'); </script><div id="ariaAnnouncements" aria-live="polite" tabindex="-1" style="visibility: hidden; width: 1px; height: 1px;"> </div> <!--googleon:all--></body></html>