Inhalers are invaluable pieces of equipment designed to deliver drugs to relieve and control the distressing symptoms and effects of bronchial asthma. A condition affecting millions all around the globe, bronchial asthma causes the inflammation of airways, which results in a great degree of wheezing and breathlessness as air passages constrict. Respiratory inhalers come in a variety of formats, but all of them are designed to help manage different types and symptoms of asthma.
Inhalers are considered the best route for asthma medication because they help target the affected area a lot faster than intravenous and oral drugs. With inhalers, the drug directly goes into the lungs, providing instant relief as opposed to IV and oral medications which take time to reach the affected area as the drug must first get absorbed into the bloodstream before it can be introduced into the lungs.
Reliever inhalers are a type of respiratory inhaler that contain bronchodilator drugs, also known as beta receptor agonists, which exert effects within a few seconds to a few minutes. They help open up or dilate the airways so that normal airflow can get through the lungs. Reliever inhalers can effectively and immediately relieve asthma symptoms. Ventolin, or salbutamol, levalbuterol, and pirbuterol drugs are commonly used in reliever inhalers. These drugs work by relaxing the muscles that line the airways and opening the up in order to promote airflow into the lungs. Ventolin inhalers are excellent first aid tools for patients suffering from chronic lung diseases like bronchial asthma, emphysema, and chronic bronchitis.
Preventer inhalers on the other hand, are usually prescribed to patients that require long-term asthma control. These inhalers usually contain corticosteroids, which help manage and control persistent symptoms. However, preventer inhalers should never be used as reliever inhalers, as they are not designed to manage acute attacks that reliever inhaler drugs are made for. Patients in need of long-term asthma control are prescribed long-acting beta agonists, which have prolonged duration of action, meaning they keep the airways dilated for longer. In any case, using asthma inhalers requirea the proper technique of administering the drug so that the right dosage gets directly into the lungs.