Q: I am a 19 years old female. I am suffering from seasonal asthma. I have heard that asthma drugs contain steroids. I would like to know if these drugs are safe to use or should I avoid them?

A:There are many medicines for the control of asthma; some have steroids while others do not contain steroids. In general, one should use those anti-asthmatics that are inhaled rather than taken by mouth since they reach the site of action (lungs) directly and do not get absorbed in any significant quantity even if they contain steroids. The most important issue is to relieve breathlessness