Medication is an effective treatment for asthma available at The London Clinic. We also offer Buteyko breathing techniques.
Need answers quickly?
Our Rapid Diagnostics Centre offers fast access to advanced imaging, specialist clinics and on-site testing - helping you get clarity in days, not weeks. Plus, our 24/7 private GP service is here whenever you need urgent advice.
Our charitable purpose
As a charitable hospital, we reinvest in exceptional care, research and innovation - helping us improve healthcare for patients here and far beyond our walls.
Everything you need for your visit
Your Patient Hub brings together everything you need to prepare for your visit, understand your care and know what to expect throughout your stay.
Easy access
Call us today to book an appointment
Fast referral
Get seen and treated within 14 days
What is it for?
To help treat chest tightness
Asthma treatment consultation at The London Clinic
For mild to moderate asthma, inhalers provide an effective, safe and easy to use treatment that delivers drugs directly to the airways. As only very small quantities of the drug will get into the bloodstream, systemic side effects are minimal or negligible.
The attachment of a spacer device to the inhaler helps increase the delivery of drugs and is particularly useful in small children or those whose inhaler technique is not optimal. Medication designed for inhalation can also be delivered via nebulisers, ‘misting machines’, which are driven either by battery or plugged into the mains.
There are two main types of asthma medication:
- Relievers, also called short-acting bronchodilators: often delivered in a blue or white inhaler, these work quickly and can produce almost immediate relief from mild to moderate chest tightness. Relievers may need to be used several times a day as their effect wanes after a while. The most widely used short-acting bronchodilator is salbutamol, a beta2 agonist which works by relaxing the smooth muscles in the airway walls.
- Preventers: these medications are usually steroids (corticosteroids rather than anabolic steroids) and work by decreasing the inflammatory response in the airways. They may come in a brown or beige inhaler device and their effect is slower than that of relievers but lasts longer. As a result, they are usually used twice a day.
The dose of steroids in inhalers is low and delivered directly to the desired site of action.
Other medication used to treat asthma
In cases where asthma symptoms prove particularly difficult to control despite the above medication, it is usual to either increase the dose of inhaled steroids or add in a long-acting beta agonist (LABA).
These two drugs are often combined into the same inhaler. Combination inhalers come in a variety of devices so it is important that the correct one is chosen to ensure ease of use.
A short course of oral steroids may prove necessary for some patients whose asthma exacerbation is particularly severe and inhaled treatment on its own proves ineffective.
Other drugs available to the treating physician include those designed to target particular inflammatory pathways or to produce additional bronchodilatation above what may be achieved by first-line drugs. A number of immunomodulatory drugs are also in development. One such agent currently available is a monoclonal antibody that neutralises IgE, the antibody that promotes allergic reactions.
Buteyko breathing
This treatment, provided by The London Clinic’s physiotherapy service, aims to reduce symptoms, including shortness of breath, coughing and asthma attacks.
We offer Fixed Price Packages
Where possible, we’ll provide a fixed-price package for your hospital care. This covers your hospital stay, nursing, and use of our facilities, giving you a clear guide to what those costs will be.
- Pre-op assessment
- Hospital stay, nursing care and meals
- Tests, scans and physio during your stay
- Take-home medication (up to 5 days)
- Post-op follow-up appointments
- Standard equipment or prosthesis (if needed)
- Unplanned extended stay or ITU (if clinically required)
- Initial consultation and any tests done during it
- Consultant and anaesthetist fees (quoted separately)
- Physio or therapy before or after your stay
- Diagnostics before admission (unless agreed in your plan)
- Specialist medication beyond 5 days
- Ambulance transport or bespoke prosthetics
Your consultant’s fees are quoted separately and shared directly by their office after your consultation. These professional fees cover the time, expertise, and care provided by your consultant before, during, and after your treatment. See our full terms and conditions
Why choose The London Clinic?
Trusted for over 90 years, The London Clinic is an independent charitable hospital that reinvests into care, research, and support for those who can’t easily access private treatment.
The UK’s largest independent hospital
More patients choose The London Clinic than any other.
Top-rated by real patients
4.86/5 from over 1,600 reviews on Doctify and over 4.5 on Google.
Full intensive care on-site
World-class 13-bed ICU for expert support if your care becomes complex.
Investing in clinical excellence
Backed by Northwestern, we equip our teams with cutting-edge medical equipment.
0% Finance Options
We’ve teamed up with Chrysalis to offer you funding options that allow you to spread the cost of your treatment.
If you choose to pay for your treatment at The London Clinic over 12 months, you can make use of a great 0% interest option and pay nothing extra. Or you can choose to pay over two to five years at 14.9% APR.
Trustees of the London Clinic Ltd trading as The London Clinic is an Appointed Representative of Chrysalis Finance Limited, which is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority. The London Clinic is a credit broker, not a lender. The provider of a payment scheme which is not offered through or by Chrysalis Finance Limited may not be so authorised and regulated. Cancer treatments or transplants aren’t covered by finance packages. Finance options are only available for UK patients.