Rescue medications are a type of medication used by people with
asthma to relieve asthma symptoms (such as wheezing, coughing,
and shortness of breath) or to treat an asthma flare-up. They're
also known as quick-relief or fast-acting medications because
they act quickly to stop symptoms, but the effects aren't long
lasting. Most are inhaled and work by relaxing the muscle around
the airways (the tubes that carry air into and out of the
lungs), making the airways wider and allowing breathing to
become easier within minutes. They don't treat the underlying
inflammation of the airways - this can require daily treatment
with other types of medications called controller medications.
Some people with asthma rely only on rescue medications; others
use rescue medications together with controller medications to
keep their asthma in check overall.