Asthma Inhalers Varieties

There are two varieties of asthma inhalers. An asthma inhaler is a device containing an asthma medication that can treat an asthma condition. The most commonly used asthma inhalers are the metered dose inhalers.

They contain what we call a carrier substance. It can suspend the drug, pressurize the system, as well as carry the drug in small drops or particles to be able to reach the small airways present in a person’s lungs.

Only in recent years, the metered dose inhaler was full of CFC. It was the propellant as well as solvent used for medicating the asthma patient. There seems to be a change towards using halocarbons as a substitute. It has also been found that a variety of beclomethasone inhalers and it is believed that absorption has improved as high as 180%.

Dry Powder Inhalers

They are asthma inhalers that involve using micronised powder packages. It may be used in single dose quantities contained in blisters. It can also be in the form of compressed pellets that are mechanically freed as well as suspended and inhaled into the lungs directly using the patient’s own breath. It cost more than the metered dose inhalers. One of the major disadvantages of using it is that during an attack, the patient may not be able to generate sufficient airflow to draw in the medication. They are environmental friendly as compared to the spread asthma inhalers.

An asthma inhaler will usually contain a reservoir at the bottom to hold the drug powder. In order to load a single dose into the inhalation chamber, a twist grip needs to be twisted back and forth. A numerical dose counter also provides the patient with information on the remaining doses left. When the background color turns to red it indicates that there are only twenty doses left. Newer asthma inhalers have been found to deliver standardized doses every time it is being used.

Different between powder inhaler and aerosol inhaler
The powder inhaler may prove to be more effective as the powder is able to reach the airways better than the sprayed aerosol. The later often gets dispersed in the mouth. But the dry powder inhalers are becoming outdated due to the poor delivery of the powder to the lungs. Nowadays, asthma inhalers are being designed to deliver at least 30% of the drug into the lungs.

January 29 2007 08:24 am Del.icio.us Digg Furl