Definition: Long-Term Control Medicine

Long-Term Control Medicine

There's a reason for this medicine's name: If your doctor prescribed it for your asthma, you need to take it every day, over a long period of time, to control the condition. Long-term control medicines are sometimes also called controller or maintenance medicines.

Long-term control medicine works slowly over time to keep the airways in the lungs open and clear. It may take days or weeks for long-term control medicine to start working and keep the airways from becoming swollen and narrow. That's why people need to take it each day, even when they feel OK.