March 2025

Children with asthma can struggle to breathe during physical activity. They may cough, wheeze, or feel like they have a tight chest during gym, playing sports, or while they’re just running around the playground. These are all symptoms of asthma, a long-term lung condition that causes inflamed and swollen airways.

But asthma doesn’t mean your child has to sit life out on the sidelines. Once your child gets an asthma diagnosis, their doctor will prescribe asthma medications that can help your child have better control over their breathing — and their life.

Asthma medications don’t cure asthma. But they make it possible for your child to live their life to the fullest, including participating in sports and other physical activities. Asthma medications also reduce the risk of your child having an uncontrolled asthma attack that lands them in the emergency room.

Types of children’s asthma medications

Children with asthma often need two different types of medication:

• Quick-relief medication.
• Long-term controller medication.

What you should know about quick-relief medication

Your child uses these medicines when they’re having trouble breathing. They work fast to open up the airways and make breathing easier. Your child takes the medicines using a device called an inhaler. Your doctor may also call this a rescue inhaler.

There are different types of inhalers used for asthma. Some spray a fine mist that your child breathes, slowly and deeply,30 into the lungs. Others release a dry powder that is also breathed in deeply but isn’t felt. Often a spacer is used with an inhaler to help the medicine get into the airways more effectively. The spacer may have a mask (generally used for younger children) or a mouthpiece.

If your child has asthma, they should have their rescue inhaler with them at all times. Talk to your child’s teacher and coaches to make sure your child can carry their inhaler with them or have easy, nearby access to it, so they can self-administer it when needed.

Some children use their inhaler before doing any type of increased physical activity, such as gym class or sports, to help prevent asthma symptoms. Often that means using the inhaler 10 to 20 minutes before starting a physical activity. Your child’s doctor will let you know whether they should use their inhaler before physical activity to help prevent symptoms.

What you should know about long-term controller medication

Long-term controller medications are medicines your child takes every day to manage asthma and prevent serious symptoms. These medicines decrease the swelling in the lungs and airways. They help your child have fewer and less severe asthma attacks.

Some long-term controller medications are also given with an inhaler, but with different ingredients than a rescue inhaler. Other long-term controller medications are given in the form of a pill that your child swallows.

To help long-term controller medicines work better, your child needs to take them every day, even when they’re feeling good. If you skip a dose, they won’t work as well.

Medications and Asthma Action Plans

Asthma medications are part of your child’s asthma action plan — written instructions for caregivers to follow to help prevent and manage asthma symptoms. An asthma action plan should also list contact phone numbers for you as well as your child’s doctor.

If your child has asthma, anyone who has responsibility for your child should know about their asthma, what medications they take, and how to handle asthma episodes. You should share your child’s asthma action plan with:

• Daycare providers
• Teachers
• School nurse
• School principal
• Coaches
• Babysitters, including grandparents
• Parents of your child’s friends

With the right medications and help from other important adults in your child’s life, your child can keep their asthma under better control.