No doubt about it, asthma can seem like a complex condition to treat. When your child is first diagnosed with asthma, the discussions, for instance, of inhalers and multiple medications to reduce both constriction and inflammation of her lungs can seem overwhelming.

Once you receive a prescription or two, questions can still linger in your mind about whether the medication is being administered appropriately, if side effects are common, and if your child may be taking too much — or not enough — medication.

Today, more medications than ever are available to help children treat and manage their asthma safely and effectively. However, a void seems to have opened up between what is available and the appropriate use of available medications by children to manage their asthma.

A Larger Problem

Ongoing research has found that inadequate asthma control is common among children — even those who are prescribed recommended medications.

In one study, only 20 percent of children with persistent asthma were found to have their asthma under optimal control using their medications, according to a review of survey data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Another 43 percent had poorly controlled asthma — even when they were using their anti-inflammatory medications as recommended, and 37 percent had inadequate therapy with no preventive medication prescribed.

The poorly controlled asthma was linked with factors such as inadequate management at the health care provider level; failure to receive a written asthma management plan; no knowledge of how to use a peak flow meter; and no knowledge of how to recognize symptoms.

A solution, the researchers suggested, included using an approach that encourages, in part, more education by providers and community-based entities to promote better medication adherence.

Going Short and Long

Having a prescription is a start to better managing asthma. But, it is important that both you and your child educate yourselves on what the medications do, how they are similar or different, and how they fit into your child's treatment plan.

The main step is understanding that asthma medications are split into two groups to address two conditions (airway constriction and airway inflammation):

• Short-term quick-relief medications are designed to relax the muscle layers around your child's airways. They act fast — but their effect only lasts a few hours. They basically treat asthma symptoms (such as coughing or wheezing), but they will not reduce or prevent inflammation, which is the main underlying cause of asthma.

• Many long-term control medications are designed to prevent the longer term swelling and inflammation of airways and to prevent the occurrence and severity of asthma flare-ups. They are taken daily.

Except for mild cases of asthma, your child likely will be prescribed both types of medications to treat and control his asthma. There are a variety of combinations that your health care provider could prescribe that are examined here in more detail.