Sometimes asthma isn’t controlled by cortisone treatment alone. Doctors will then prescribe what is called a long-acting bronchodilator to be taken with the cortisone. This type of bronchodilator is different from the reliever type because it continues to work for up to 12 hours.
Sometimes, doctors choose to prescribe combination products that put a cortisone and a long-acting bronchodilator together in one single inhaler. That way, doctors know that the underlying cause of the asthma, the inflammation, is being controlled by the cortisone and that the symptoms of asthma, like wheezing and shortness of breath, are being treated by the long-acting bronchodilator. Combination products ensure that asthma is well controlled in the most convenient way.
If someone has a very severe asthma attack, doctors will prescribe an oral cortisone in the form of a tablet. This is not intended for long-term use.
These are relatively new types of medicines developed over the last ten years. As their name implies, they block substances called IgE and leukotrines which are released by the body in response to an allergen, a trigger for allergic asthma. IgE and leukotrines are part of what is called the inflammatory process and are responsible for causing the inflammation in allergic asthma. These medicines act by attaching themselves to these substances and blocking, or neutralising, their actions.