Learning About Anti-Inflammatory Reliever (AIR) Therapy for Asthma

Anti-inflammatory reliever (AIR) therapy is a treatment for asthma. It combines two types of medicine into a single asthma inhaler. These medicines include:

• An inhaled steroid, such as budesonide. This helps reduce swelling in the airway.
• A bronchodilator, such as albuterol or formoterol. This opens up the airway.

AIR therapy is prescribed if you have mild asthma. It is used only when you have symptoms.

AIR therapy is used to help manage asthma symptoms. Asthma causes the airways that lead to the lungs to swell and get inflamed. This makes it hard to breathe. The medicines in AIR therapy inhalers work to reduce swelling in the airways and open them up.

AIR therapy can lower the risk of asthma attacks better than a bronchodilator alone. Because you get a small dose of steroid every time you use AIR therapy, it calms the airway swelling early before it causes a serious attack. AIR therapy may also reduce the total amount of inhaled corticosteroid needed to control asthma.

AIR therapy uses an inhaler to deliver medicine right into the lungs. Unlike some asthma inhalers that need to be used every day, AIR therapy is usually used only when you have symptoms.

Talk with your doctor, nurse, or pharmacist about how to use the inhaler. How you do it will depend on the inhaler and the medicines it uses.

All medicines can have side effects. The side effects of AIR therapy can vary depending on the medicines used in the inhaler. Side effects may include:

• An infection in the nose or throat.
• Swelling of the lining of the sinuses.
• Coughing.
• Tremors.
• Nausea.
• Problems sleeping.
• A headache.
• A sore throat or mouth pain.
• A fungal infection in the mouth (thrush).
• A fast or irregular heartbeat.