Expert: Bailey - 4/10/2007

Question
My son is 19 and has recently been diagnosed with asthma. He has had a slight cough for over a month, the doctor told him he should use his inhaler when this happens as this could trigger an asthma attack. He doesn't want to use the inhaler on a daily basis. Any suggestions?

Answer
Mary,
If your son only has a slight cough but is not having any breathing difficulty, I would not suggest that he use the inhaler. Anytime that the breathing begins to get at all difficult though, he is going to want to use it as this is probably the beginning of an asthma attack.

I would recommend that you get a peak flow meter as this is an excellent way to monitor the severity of the asthma and can alert you to problems before your son has any symptoms.

If the asthma is bad, then it may be necessary to be on a preventer inhaler. Albuterol inhalers should not be used on a daily basis. If the asthma is mild though, a daily preventer medication may not be necessary and the rescue inhaler can be used as needed.
-Bailey