In order to keep their asthma under control, patients should know exactly what to do when asthma symptoms appear. They should know the warning signs of an attack and understand how to react when symptoms get worse.

Every asthmatic should have an asthma action plan. Created by a physician, these plans help guide the patient through an attack. The patient should follow the instructions of the asthma action plan when symptoms begin to appear. When treated promptly, most asthma attacks can quickly be brought under control.

A typical plan many unfold as follows:

• Patients experiencing an asthma attack will take their “reliever” medication designed to stop and reverse an asthma attack. This is different from a "controller" medication, which patients take regularly to prevent symptoms from appearing in the first place.
  
  The goal is to stop and reverse the process of narrowing of the airways as quickly as possible. Such medications include:
  
  
• • Beta agonists. Inhaled short-acting beta2 agonists are bronchodilators that reverse the symptoms of an asthma attack by relaxing the smooth muscle around the bronchial tubes.
    
    
  • Anticholinergics. These bronchodilator drugs also relax smooth muscle, but do so by affecting a different set of nerves than those impacted by beta agonists. When the two drugs are used together, it may enhance treatment of symptoms.
    
    
  • Corticosteroids. These drugs are powerful anti-inflammatories that are either inhaled, taken orally or injected. They reduce inflammation and help prevent recurrence of attacks.
    
    
  • Epinephrine (adrenaline). In cases of severe asthma attacks, an injection of epinephrine may be necessary to immediately reverse symptoms. Most often, this will be performed by a medical professional.
    
    
• After taking their medication, patients should cough to loosen mucus in the airways.
  
  
• Patients should then try to relax their breathing as much as possible.
  
  
• If symptoms do not subside, patients should seek immediate medical attention.

After an asthma attack has been brought under control, a physician will create a treatment plan designed to treat the asthma that is the underlying cause of the symptoms. Asthma treatments have two goals:

• To control airway inflammation in an attempt to make the airways less sensitive to allergen and irritant triggers.
  
  
• To prevent airway remodeling. In effect, this is achieved by successfully achieving the first goal.