All About COPD Inhalers

COPD inhalers indeed play a highly pivotal role in not just keeping the ailment’s symptoms under control, but also in alleviating the physical distress caused by them. Owing to that, these inhalers are widely used. The inhalers include either a single medicine or a blend of two or more medications. To elaborate further, an inhaler could either have a bronchodilator or a corticosteroid, or a mix of both the medications. The following are some of the leading brands of COPD inhalers, which are currently in vogue: Advair, Symbicort, Pulmicort and Combivent, to name a few.

The medicine that is present in the inhaler directly reaches the airways, when the patient inhales. Owing to that, the dosage required by the patient is much lesser than what is needed, when the drug is consumed orally. In this context, there is a vital point that is worthy of special mention. When a medicine is taken in by means of an inhaler, most of it is used up in the respiratory tract itself, and hence, a very small quantity reaches other systems of the body. As a direct result of that, there are practically no side effects. Even if some side effects are experienced by the patient, they are very mild and can easily be ignored. Here, it has to be mentioned that when the inhaler in question contains steroids, there is a small possibility that the patient might develop some mild infection in the mouth. But this is in no way a cause of worry, for such infections can very easily be treated by administering pastilles.

In majority of cases, the patient has the choice of selecting the COPD inhaler that they feel is convenient for them. Most of the medical facilities have a wide range of inhalers, and patients have the flexibility of opting for the one with which they are comfortable. As a matter of fact, when a patient is not satisfied with the inhaler being used by them, they can opt for a device (inhaler) of different pattern, subject to the approval of their physician. These are the patterns of inhalers currently available: Pressurized metered dose inhalers, Inhalers with spacer devices, Breath-activated inhalers and Nebulizers.

A study that was conducted in the year 2008 stresses on the relevance of usage of COPD inhalers, for persons afflicted with this illness. This study highlighted the fact that, some types of inhalers that are presently being used play a crucial role in decelerating the rate of lung function decline in patients (of COPD). In this connection, it needs to be understood that this particular benefit can be perceived, only when usage of inhaler is accompanied by smoking cessation. As an outcome of this research, inhalers are being given more importance than ever before, both in minimizing the intensity of symptoms and also in slowing down the speed at which the function of the lungs drop. In fact, in this particular study, it was seen that inhalers having either a corticosteroid or a beta-agonist, or a combination of both, were highly effective in decreasing the pace at which the lung function drops.