Quick-Relief Medicines

(also called Rescue or Fast-Acting Medicines)

Quick-relief medicines are a type of asthma medicine that works quickly. They "rescue" the person from wheezing, coughing, and shortness of breath.

Most of these medicines are inhaled and work by relaxing the muscle around the airways. When the muscles are relaxed, the airways are wider, which makes it easier to move air in and out of the lungs.

But quick-relief medicines won't prevent future asthma flare-ups and may not be enough to keep someone's asthma under control. Long-term control medicine, taken daily, is often needed to keep the airways from getting swollen and narrow in the first place.