Inhaler

From ArticleWorld

An inhaler is a medical device that is used to deliver medicine to the body via the lungs or the bronchial mucosa. It is often used in the treatment of asthma, emphysema and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).

Types

The most common device is a metered-dose inhaler or MDI. A pressurized canister is attached to a special plastic pump that is used to deliver a puff of aerosolized medicine to the patient who breathes in the medicine.

The technique of using a metered-dose inhaler is complex. The patient must first exhale completely and put the plastic mouthpiece in the mouth, completely enclosed at the lips. Upon the first part of inhalation of a deep breath, the patient must push the pump and continue inhaling so the medicine reaches the affected areas. Then the patient should hold his or her breath for up to ten seconds afterward.

Some inhalers are breath-activated and release a puff of medicine upon inhalation. The individual must continue to inhale or the medicine will only reach the mouth. Spacers are tube-like devices that attach to the mouthpiece and allow the medicine to hover in the tube after the pump is released so that inhalation can be more sporadic and still deliver an adequate dose.

Another type of inhaler has been introduced in the last decade in response to criticism over the inhalers containment of ozone-producing pressurizers. The devices are roughly disc shaped with a mouth hole on one part of the disc edge. The device is primed with a certain amount of powdered medicine and the patient simply inhales the powder deeply. As with any type of inhaler, these inhalers can cause a coughing reflex so that the medicine is coughed out before enough can get in.

Uses

Inhalers generally contain one or a combination of two types of breathing medicine. Medicines known as beta-agonists, such as albuterol, cause the bronchial tree to dilate and are used for attacks of asthma or on a regular basis for those with chronic lung disease.

Some inhalers contain a type of steroid. As asthma and chronic lung diseases often have an inflammatory component, steroids, when taken on a regular basis, can provide a localized anti-inflammatory effect to the lungs and the bronchial tree with minimal systemic effects.