Asthma Care in Troy, MI

What is asthma? What symptoms should I notice?

Asthma is a long-term condition in which the breathing tubes in your lungs become swollen and narrow. The muscles around them can tighten, making breathing harder. Treatment can help you stay active and prevent serious attacks.

Common symptoms include:

• Wheezing: a whistling sound when you breathe.
• Coughing: often at night, early in the morning or with exercise.
• Shortness of breath: feeling that you cannot get enough air.
• Chest tightness: pressure or a squeezing feeling in your chest.

Symptoms often come and go. Colds, exercise, cold air, smoke or allergens may bring them on. Other conditions can cause similar symptoms, so a medical assessment matters.

What does controlled asthma look like?

The goal is comfortable breathing, uninterrupted sleep and normal activity. For adults and teens, review the past four weeks:

• Did you have daytime symptoms on more than two days a week?
• Did asthma wake you at night?
• Did asthma limit your activities?
• If you use albuterol alone or another short-acting-only rescue inhaler, did you need it for symptoms on more than two days a week? Do not count use before exercise. Steroid-containing relievers are assessed differently; ask your clinician how to assess yours.

No “yes” answers: symptoms are well controlled. One or two: partly controlled. Three or four: uncontrolled. Any “yes,” or increasing reliever use, is a reason to review your plan. Children need age-appropriate assessment.

Feeling well does not eliminate the risk of a future attack. Your clinician also checks previous attacks, breathing-test results and medication use. Even people with infrequent symptoms can have a severe attack.

What are the main asthma medicines?

• Inhaled corticosteroids (ICS): reduce swelling inside the airways. They are the foundation of treatment that prevents attacks. They may be in a daily inhaler or a prescribed combination reliever.
• Combination controller inhalers (ICS/LABA): combine an inhaled steroid with a long-acting medicine that keeps airways open. A LABA should not be used alone for asthma. Not every combination inhaler works as rescue treatment.
• Quick-relief medicines: open narrowed airways when symptoms occur. Some also contain an inhaled steroid. See the rescue section below.
• Other add-on treatments: a long-acting airway-opening inhaler called a LAMA, or tablets called leukotriene modifiers, may help selected patients.
• Biologic medicines: injections targeting particular causes of inflammation, usually for selected patients with severe asthma under specialist care.
• Steroid tablets or liquids: sometimes needed for a significant flare-up, not routine daily treatment. They are not a substitute for a quick-relief inhaler and should be used only as prescribed.

Montelukast, a leukotriene tablet, has an FDA boxed warning about serious mood and behavior changes. Discuss its benefits and risks; stop it and contact your clinician promptly if these changes occur.

What is rescue treatment?

A rescue or reliever inhaler treats symptoms as they happen. Know which inhaler is yours and follow your written instructions.

• Albuterol opens the airways quickly but does not treat the underlying swelling.
• Albuterol plus budesonide combines quick relief with an inhaled steroid. This combination is FDA-approved for adults age 18 and older, not children.
• Certain inhaled-steroid/formoterol inhalers can be prescribed for relief, sometimes also as the daily controller. This approach is guideline-supported, but rescue use is outside current U.S. FDA labeling. Use it only with a specific clinician-written plan. Do not substitute another combination inhaler.

Needing relief more often, or finding it does not last, means your asthma needs prompt review. Do not keep increasing treatment beyond your action plan.

U.S. asthma inhaler guide — reviewed October 24, 2026

This chart covers verified U.S. handheld inhaler families, not every manufacturer, strength or package. Availability can change. Medicines and age limits differ; follow your own prescribed plan.

Read the inhaler list and safety notes

Rescue and controller medicines do different jobs. Know your prescribed reliever. Most inhalers below are not for sudden symptoms. Do not substitute one for another.

Prescription quick relief

Use only as directed in your asthma action plan. Albuterol alone does not treat airway swelling.

• Albuterol HFA (Ventolin HFA and generics) — albuterol; Aerosol; Prescribed quick relief (Rescue).
• ProAir RespiClick — albuterol; Dry powder; Prescribed quick relief (Rescue).
• Xopenex HFA and generics — levalbuterol; Aerosol; Prescribed quick relief (Rescue).
• Airsupra — albuterol / budesonide; Aerosol; Prescribed quick relief; asthma age 18+ (Age 18+).

Inhaled steroid controllers | ICS

Reduce airway inflammation. These single-steroid inhalers are not rescue treatment.

• QVAR RediHaler — beclomethasone dipropionate; Breath-actuated aerosol; Maintenance; not rescue.
• Beclomethasone dipropionate HFA (Amneal generic) — beclomethasone dipropionate; Aerosol; Maintenance; not rescue.
• Pulmicort Flexhaler — budesonide; Dry powder; Maintenance; not rescue.
• Asmanex HFA — mometasone furoate; Aerosol; Maintenance; not rescue.
• Asmanex Twisthaler — mometasone furoate; Dry powder; Maintenance; not rescue.
• Alvesco — ciclesonide; Aerosol; Maintenance; not rescue.
• Arnuity Ellipta and generic — fluticasone furoate; Dry powder; Maintenance; not rescue.
• Fluticasone propionate HFA (generic) — fluticasone propionate; Aerosol; Maintenance; not rescue.
• Fluticasone propionate Diskus (generic) — fluticasone propionate; Dry powder; Maintenance; not rescue.

Steroid + long-acting opener | ICS / LABA

Maintenance combinations. Reliever use requires a specific clinician-written plan; see note below.

• Advair Diskus and generic equivalents — fluticasone propionate / salmeterol; Dry powder; Maintenance; not rescue.
• Wixela Inhub — fluticasone propionate / salmeterol; Dry powder; Maintenance; not rescue.
• Advair HFA and generic — fluticasone propionate / salmeterol; Aerosol; Maintenance; not rescue.
• Fluticasone propionate / salmeterol MDPI (generic AirDuo RespiClick) — fluticasone propionate / salmeterol; Dry powder; Maintenance; not rescue.
• Symbicort and generics — budesonide / formoterol; Aerosol; Maintenance; not rescue.
• Breyna — budesonide / formoterol; Aerosol; Maintenance; not rescue.
• Dulera — mometasone furoate / formoterol; Aerosol; Maintenance; not rescue.
• Breo Ellipta and generic — fluticasone furoate / vilanterol; Dry powder; Maintenance; not rescue.

Other maintenance options

Triple combinations and add-ons. Serevent must NEVER be used alone for asthma.

• Trelegy Ellipta — fluticasone furoate / umeclidinium / vilanterol; Dry powder; Maintenance; not rescue.
• Breztri Aerosphere — budesonide / glycopyrrolate / formoterol; Aerosol; Maintenance; not rescue.
• Spiriva Respimat — tiotropium; Soft mist; Maintenance; not rescue.
• Serevent Diskus — salmeterol; Dry powder; Maintenance; not rescue (WITH an ICS).

Important exceptions - do not guess which inhaler is rescue

Some two-drug budesonide/formoterol inhalers may be prescribed for relief. This is off-label in the U.S.; follow a clinician-written plan. Triple combinations are NOT rescue. OTC Primatene Mist (epinephrine aerosol) is separate: temporary relief for doctor-diagnosed mild intermittent asthma, age 12+. It is not a controller or a replacement for your prescribed plan.

What do the latest guidelines say?

As of October 24, 2026: GINA’s 2026 guidance continues to favor treatment containing an inhaled steroid rather than albuterol alone for adults and teens. This protects against attacks as well as treating symptoms. The 2026 update adds anti-inflammatory reliever options, including new options for children ages 6–11. Children need age-specific prescribing; younger children follow a separate approach.

The latest U.S. NHLBI focused guideline update remains 2020. Recommendations and FDA-approved uses are not identical, so your plan should fit your age, medical history and available inhalers.

Everyday steps that make treatment work

Bring your inhalers to visits so we can check your technique. Ask whether a spacer is right for your device. Get a written asthma action plan explaining regular treatment, what to do when symptoms worsen and when to seek help.

Avoid smoke and vaping, and reduce exposure to triggers that affect you. Discuss nasal allergies if they are a problem. Stay active with an appropriate plan. Keep follow-up visits and arrange a review after a flare-up. Tell us if cost, side effects or a confusing routine make medicines hard to use.

Schedule an asthma evaluation

Ask about asthma follow-up and in-office pulmonary function testing at Ahad MD PC.