The reliever drugs are used for treating asthma symptoms and flare-ups.

There are two kinds of relievers; the short acting ones for emergency use for flare-ups or attacks of asthma - they don't control your asthma and they don't prevent attacks. 

The long acting relievers are usually prescribed for asthma together with an inhaled corticosteroid. One of these long acting relievers is formoterol - which is also almost as fast as the short acting relievers. The inhalers that contain an inhaled corticosteroid and also formoterol are prescribed according to the licenced regulations in different ways depending on which country you live: 1) they are either prescribed to be used regularly - once or twice a day and the blue relievers are used for symptoms; or 2) they are prescribed to be used regularly - once or twice a day AND the same inhaler is also for relief instead of a blue short acting reliever - this is called MART or Maintenance and Reliever therapy; and 3,in some countries these are prescribed 'as needed' for symptoms without using the inhaler regularly - this is called Anti-Inflammatory Therapy or AIR.

The benefits as well as the possible risks related to use of relievers is explained in this episode.

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