Sometimes your child's medications may work too well: She may want to drop daily medications because she has sharply reduced asthma symptoms or she knows she can count on her quick-relief medications at any time.

The Fire Beneath

Your answer to dropping medications should focus on the point that she is feeling better now because of her use of daily medications, along with other changes she may have made in her life (such as avoiding certain asthma triggers). While she may be breathing better now, let her know that a fire of sorts has been smoldering underneath in her airways.

An asthma flare-up may be on the way, and she may have to take short-course action — such as an oral corticosteroid — to avoid problems.

Keeping on Track

During a calm time, look back on recent months with her to show how the medications have made changes such as fewer school absences, more time to play outside, or more restful nights in which she slept through the night.

A certain routine — such as taking medications after breakfast or before brushing her teeth in the morning — can help make using daily medications seem more routine with less hassle. (And by brushing her teeth, she can then get rid of the taste of the medicine that some children hate.)

As she becomes more mature, she can begin to take on more responsibility for herself — possibly even keeping her own asthma diary where she notes changes in her peak flow meter and symptoms. The eventual goal is that she will become responsible for her own health by controlling her asthma.

Circadian Rhythms

If you want to optimize how your child's controller asthma medications work, maybe you should consider his circadian rhythms.

The human body behaves differently throughout the day — following its own circadian rhythms, according to researchers. The rhythms also affect how the body responds to asthma and also allergy symptoms.

However, most inhaled corticosteroids — which are widely used by those with mild to moderate asthma — are taken two to three times a day, and research is ongoing to determine the best times to take those multiple doses. Overall, your strategy first should be consistency — that your child is taking his asthma medications daily as prescribed by his health care provider.

For those with allergies, taking those medications at night will help address symptoms first thing in the morning. This schedule will maximize allergy and asthma drug results — again only if individuals remember to take their medications each day, the researchers note.

Refill'er Up

Many inhaled medications can work wonders on your child's asthma — as long as they don't run out. Sometimes parents find out their children have been using a spent inhaler only after their children's symptoms cannot be effectively controlled as before. This is not an uncommon occurrence.

But, you can take steps to avoid using an empty inhaler by double-checking with your health care provider or pharmacist or carefully reading the directions yourself about the period of use established for the inhaler.

Possibly make a note to yourself: If an inhaler has 120 puffs, and your child uses two puffs per day on average, mark a date 60 days from the first day of use for replacement.

Some brands of HFA inhalers come with a counter to track how much medicine is left. For those devices without a counter, keeping a backup inhaler handy might be advisable — just in case.

Also consider designing a timetable for older children who are carrying quick-relief inhalers in school in case of emergency. Or, you might want to create a medications diary that lists when medications were used, or develop a set time each month when you and your child examine if and when a refill is needed.