This year’s theme highlights an urgent need: Everyone aged 12 and over with asthma should have access to anti-inflammatory inhalers. Because asthma isn’t just symptoms, it’s inflammation in the lungs.

Treating that inflammation – by using an anti-inflammatory reliever instead of just a blue puffer for people aged 12 and over – can help reduce the risk of serious flare-ups and asthma attacks.

Complete our new Asthma Check In now to take to your appointment with your doctor and ask if an anti-inflammatory inhaler is right for you.

Complete the Asthma Check In

Asthma and Your Lungs

Asthma causes swelling and extra mucus inside the lungs. This makes your airways very sensitive. When something triggers your asthma, the airways tighten and it becomes harder to breathe.

The aim of asthma management is to control your symptoms, prevent asthma attacks and improve your lung function. There’s no cure for asthma, but with the right medicine and support you can get on with living without symptoms. 

Why a Blue Puffer Often Isn’t Enough

A blue puffer relaxes the airway muscles so you can breathe more easily. But it does not treat the inflammation underneath, which leads to swelling and extra mucus. Treating that inflammation helps stop future flare-ups and asthma attacks.

That’s why all adults and teenagers with asthma should have some kind of anti-inflammatory‑ treatment, not just a blue puffer.

Types of anti-inflammatory inhalers

Anti-inflammatory inhalers include:

• Anti-Inflammatory Relievers (AIR)
• Preventer inhalers
• Maintenance and Reliever Therapy (MART) inhalers

All of these contain an inhaled corticosteroid – a medicine that reduces inflammation and swelling in the lungs. This helps treat the lung sensitivity that causes asthma symptoms.

Blue puffers do not contain a corticosteroid and have no anti-inflammatory effect at all.

For people with mild asthma

If you are 12 years old or over, have very mild asthma and only use a blue puffer right now, your doctor may switch you to an anti‑inflammatory reliever only plan. This means:

• You use it instead of a blue puffer, when you start getting asthma symptoms
• It helps your symptoms and gives a small dose of anti-inflammatory‑ medicine at the same time
• This lowers the chance of asthma attacks and reduces the need for oral steroids later

Using an anti-inflammatory reliever helps in two ways:

• It eases symptoms right now
• It lowers the chance of future flare‑ups and the need for strong oral steroids

Alternatively, your doctor may also switch you to a plan that adds an anti-inflammatory preventer to your blue puffer. In this case, your preventer should be taken every day to treat the inflammation in your lungs. You will still use your blue puffer as usual when you get asthma symptoms. 

For people with regular asthma symptoms

Frequent use of a blue puffer is risky in itself and also shows that your current asthma management is not working well. This puts you at risk of severe asthma attacks and further oral steroid use that can have serious side effects.

You may need a daily anti-inflammatory inhaler, in the form of a daily preventer, or Maintenance and Reliever Therapy (MART).  

Why adults and teens shouldn’t use a blue puffer alone

Research shows it is not safe for adults and teenagers to use only a blue puffer. If you treat symptoms but never treat the swelling and inflammation underneath, you are more likely to have a severe flare‑

Why do I want to avoid needing oral steroids?

Oral steroids can be necessary to quickly bring asthma under control during severe flare-ups and attacks.  But, the more they are used, the higher the risk of significant side effects. So oral steroids should only be used when really needed. Having just four asthma attacks that need oral steroid treatment in your lifetime puts you over the threshold for potential long term side effects.

Kids under 12

Blue puffers are still the best reliever for kids under 12. If needed, a doctor will choose the right preventer based on the child’s symptoms and how often they happen. If your child is 12 or older, talk to their doctor about anti-inflammatory inhalers and if they may help protect your child’s lungs in the long-term.

To learn more about asthma treatment in kids, check out our kid’s website:

Childhood Asthma Treatment

For generic names of asthma medicines see: Active Ingredients Guide for Asthma Medication.

If you still have questions after reading this page, talk to your doctor or pharmacist. You can also book a free call with an Asthma Educator today. 

Book a call with an Asthma Educator

Last updated: 30/04/2026