During an emergency if a person cannot breath inhalers are the ones that help you catch with your breath. These inhalers contain medicines thus when pumped into the mouth it goes into the airway pipe and clears it. A little of this drug should be inhaled as it might create side effects.
Inhalers are of three types
- Relievers
- Preventers
- Long acting bronchodilators
Reliever Inhaler- A reliever inhaler is used when you are feeling breathless. The drug in the reliever relaxes the muscle and expands the airway tubes thus making it easier for a person to breath.There are different types of reliever inhalers like salbutamol and terbutaline. These drugs are made by different companies and the inhaler devices contain drug called bronchodilator and these inhalers come in blue or gray colour.
Preventer Inhaler- The preventer inhaler contains steroid drug that has to be taken everyday to prevent it from developing. It comes in different brands. These steroids reduce the expanding of the airway muscles and when they are back to normal they rarely narrow. Some inhalers also contain cromoglycate or nedocromil which are used like preventers. It takes about a week to 14 days for the preventer to show its effect and six weeks to show good results.
Long Acting Bronchodilators– The drug in this is similar to that in relievers. After taking a dose it gives a relief upto 12 hours. This type of drug comes in two brands like salmeterol and formoterol. To control the symptoms a steroid known as steroid plus and this comes in a few brands.
Four Types of Inhaler devices
- Pressurised Metered dose Inhaler
- Inhalers with spacer device
- Dry powder Inhaler
- Nebulisers
