Basics of Asthma Inhalers

Asthma inhalers are common in terms of use among people with asthma. Most doctors will prescribe asthma inhalers to their patients. An inhaler works to deliver medicine that is needed to treat asthma directly to the lungs. The most common types of asthma inhalers are the metered-dose and dry powder inhalers. Here’s a look at these two types of asthma inhalers, along with information on how to use them properly and what types of medicines are commonly used in them.

The metered-dose asthma inhaler uses a chemical type of propellant to move the medicine out from the inhaler into the lungs. This medicine is received by squeezing onto the canister in the inhaler or by inhaling. A dry powder inhaler does not involve pushing out the medication. It requires inhaling at a faster rate than with another kind of inhaler.

Asthma inhalers are used to administer various different kinds of medicines that are prescribed by doctors to treat asthma symptoms. The most often used medicines for it include short and long-acting bronchodilators, corticosteroids and nedocromil. In some cases corticosteroids are paired with long-acting bronchodilators.

The two basic kinds of asthma inhalers will work in different ways. A metered-dose inhaler works by squeezing the top of the canister of medicine in the inhaler. The medicine is converted into a mist that goes directly to the lungs. The doses are also measured.

On the other hand, a dry powder inhaler works by having the patient press the lips onto the mouthpiece of the inhaler and quickly inhaling. This is one of the more popular types of asthma inhalers among patients because it does not require the hand-lung coordination that the metered-dose inhaler uses.

Using an asthma inhaler the right way is the most important of the basics of asthma inhalers. In fact, it is best that an inhaler be used as often as a doctor requests that it be done. This is because if an asthma patient does not take care of the symptoms as often as recommended with an inhaler that person will suffer more serious symptoms and experience damage in the future.

A physician can help to educate on how asthma inhalers work properly and how they should be used. It is important to know how to use it right so that it will be more effective and will prevent any more serious problems from happening in the future.

These are the basics of asthma inhalers. If you have asthma then it is important to see what type of inhaler is the best one for you to use and that you know how to use it properly and at the right times. This is needed so that the asthma inhaler you use will be more effective.

NIH Study Looks At Long-Acting Asthma Drugs For Children - Wall Street Journal

Medscape

NIH Study Looks At Long-Acting Asthma Drugs For Children Wall Street Journal The study involved 182 children taking inhaled corticosteroids who had uncontrolled asthma. They were assigned one of the three additional treatment options ... 'Stepping up' asthma treatment in children leads to improvementWashington University in St. Louis News Omalizumab shows benefits for asthma controlPediatric SuperSite Choosing Asthma Step-up CareNew England Journal of Medicine (subscription) Medscape -WebMD -Newswise (press release) all 32 news articles »

Childhood Asthma Treatment: Not One-Size-Fits-All - Kansas City infoZine

Childhood Asthma Treatment: Not One-Size-Fits-All Kansas City infoZine The NHLBI's Guidelines for the Diagnosis and Management of Asthma (EPR-3) recommend three treatment options for children with mild to moderate persistent ... and more »

Childhood Asthma Treatment: Not One-Size-Fits-All - PharmaLive.com (press release)

Childhood Asthma Treatment: Not One-Size-Fits-All PharmaLive.com (press release) The NHLBI's Guidelines for the Diagnosis and Management of Asthma (EPR-3) recommend three treatment options for children with mild to moderate persistent ... AAAAI: Asthma Docs Worry FDA Drug Advisory Will Hurt PatientsMedPage Today all 12 news articles »

Best Treatment Differs for Kids With Asthma - Consumer Affairs

Best Treatment Differs for Kids With Asthma Consumer Affairs For children with mild to moderate asthma, low daily doses of inhaled corticosteroids are often tried first. If these don't work, guidelines from the ...

The FDA Blows it on Asthma Drug Safety - Forbes (blog)

Only Kent (blog)

The FDA Blows it on Asthma Drug Safety Forbes (blog) The most recent asthma guidelines were published in November 2007. There is a strong focus on asthma control. The guidelines say that the focus of asthma ... FDA To Implement 'Safety Controls' For Some Asthma DrugsWall Street Journal Glaxo Shares Fall After FDA Finds Asthma Drug RiskBusinessWeek LABA Label Changes Apply to Asthma, Not COPDAbout - News & Issues (blog) Associated Content -Thaindian.com -CNNMoney.com (press release) all 486 news articles »