Chronic asthma management involves identifying the triggers, avoiding them and using rapid action medicines for relief. The use of long-term medication depends on the patient’s age, the symptoms, the triggers and what works best for them to keep asthma under control. The long-term medication generally is a drug taken daily. These help in keeping asthma under control on a day to day basis which reduces the risks of periodic flare-ups. Inhaled corticosteroids that are based on fluticasone, mometasone or beclomethasone are anti-inflammatory drugs. Their use has to be for several days to weeks. The advantage of these is lesser side effects in the long-term use. Combination inhalers are combinations of corticosteroids and a long-acting beta agonist. The beta agonist may increase the risk of severe attacks. Always consult your doctor before starting any medication.

In addition to doctor-prescribed medicines, you can always follow certain home-based natural treatments on the sideline. Cloves have been known to provide relief from chronic coughing. Boil 4-5 cloves in one glass of water. Add a teaspoon of honey and drink this solution twice daily. Ginger is another natural remedy that acts against ailments of the lungs. Soak two tablespoons of dried fenugreek seeds overnight. Take a spoonful of this the water residue and mix in one tablespoon of ginger juice and one tablespoon of honey. Have this solution every morning to get relief from asthma. Or you can make a juice with equal quantities of pomegranate and ginger. Add honey and have the juice daily.

Caffeine has been known to help alleviating asthma. It clears the air passage. have a cup of black tea or coffee. Make sure that you do not consume too much as it may lead to acidity in the stomach. You can also add ginger and honey to your black tea for added benefits and some flavor.

Beyond these, asthma cough treatment also includes quick acting short-term medicines. These are short-acting beta agonists. These inhaled medicines are long and rapid-acting bronchodilators and ease the symptoms in minutes. If one has asthma flare-up, a quick-relief inhaler can be handy and very useful. This should be rare if your daily control drugs are working well. Therefore, it is important to maintain a record of the frequency and the number of puffs of the inhaler one takes in a week. If the use of inhalers is more than what your doctor has recommended, then he should be informed. A flexible treatment plan based on symptom severity will help attain an active lifestyle.