Function

• Long-term control medications, according to the Mayo Clinic, are taken daily to control incessant symptoms and counter asthma attacks.
  
  

Significance

• According to WebMD, the daily use of long-term asthma medication helps control the disease.
  
  

Facts

• When a doctor prescribes a long-term control medication it should be taken daily to control asthma. If the medication is not taken daily or discontinued, asthma symptoms will return or get worse, according to the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute.
  
  

Types

• According to medicinenet.com, there are many types of daily long-term asthma control medications: Corticosteroids in the inhaled form are an anti-inflammatory drug for persistent asthma; Mast cell stabilizers make airways less sensitive to asthma triggers; and leukotriene modifiers are an alternative to steroids and mast cell stabilizers.
  
  

Side Effects

• Possible side effects from daily asthma medication, according to lungdiseasefocus.com, range from high blood pressure and increased risk of cataracts to gastrointestinal upset and potential liver damage.