ClinIQ Lexicon · Abbreviation
ICS — Inhaled Corticosteroids
What ICS means
ICS are anti-inflammatory medications delivered directly to the airways by inhaler. They are the cornerstone of long-term asthma control because they reduce airway inflammation, decrease exacerbation frequency, and lower bronchial hyperresponsiveness while avoiding many systemic steroid side effects.
ICS in clinical practice
Guideline-directed asthma therapy pairs ICS as daily controller medication with a reliever — commonly formoterol — instead of relying on albuterol monotherapy, which masks worsening inflammation. The ClinIQ asthma article details where ICS sits in each treatment step and when biologic add-ons enter.
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