A 30-year-old man presents with complaints of episodic breathlessness, often following exertion. One to three episodes occur daily and are accompanied by wheezing. Every 2-3 days, he wakes up at night...

A 30-year-old man presents with complaints of episodic breathlessness, often following exertion. One to three episodes occur daily and are accompanied by wheezing. Every 2-3 days, he wakes up at night with breathlessness. The episodes subside on taking 2 puffs of the inhaler prescribed by his family doctor (salbutamol 100µg/puff). Lately, the episodes have become more frequent and are limiting his activities to some extent. Spirometry revealed FEV1 to be 70% of predicted value at baseline, and 88% after 2 puffs of salbutamol (100 µg/puff) inhalation. He is diagnosed to be a case of moderate bronchial asthma. (a) Is this patient receiving adequate treatment for his condition, or some other drug/drugs need to be used? If so, what should be the first line treatment for this patient? (b) In case another drug is prescribed, should this patient continue to use salbutamol inhalations to relieve episodes of breathlessness, when they occur? (c) Which alternative drugs can be used in this patient.