Asthma and Chronic Pulmonary Disoder, or COPD, are chronic respiratory diseases that affect the airways. In asthma, the bronchial walls become exceedingly sore and swollen where even the slightest irritant can cause an attack. When this occurs, bronchial airways constrict causing wheezing, chest tightness and breathing difficulty. Alternately, in COPD, the balloon-like air sacs in the lungs lose their shape and become floppy making breathing difficult, according to MedlinePlus. The common treatment for these conditions is inhalation medications, or inhalers.
Anti-Inflammatory For Asthmatics
Inhalation corticosteroids help to reduce the inflammation caused by external irritants that aggravate airways within the lungs. MayoClinic.com says that this inhaler type works by preventing certain cells in the lungs and breathing passages from releasing chemicals that set off symptoms in asthmatics. Usually, the use of anti-inflammatory corticosteroids is a preventative measure to reduce the occurrence of asthma attacks. It is not fast-acting; meaning it will not treat the sudden outbreak of wheezing, chest tightness or difficulty breathing.
Bronchodilator for Asthmatics
Bronchodilators such as albuterol aerosol and epinephrine are "rescue" inhalers that immediately open up narrowed airways and reduce swelling. As long-acting beta agonists, bronchodilators generally have an effect for at 12 hours and are beneficial to asthmatics with moderate to severe conditions, according to MayoClinc.com. Physicians prescribe this inhaler in tandem with anti-inflammatory or corticosteroids, for use during the sudden signs of an asthma attack. Fast-acting inhalers generally aren't used more than a handful of times per month as the corticosteroid helps to prevent attacks. However, for individuals not on corticosteroids and using a fast-acting inhaler more than three times a week, this may indicate a need for an anti-inflammatory medication and should speak to a health care professional.
Combination Inhaler for COPD
COPD sufferers require stronger medication than those suffering from mild asthma. Physicians generally prescribe a combination of corticosteroid and bronchodilator inhalations such as budesonide with formoterol or fluticasone with salmeterol, according to MayoClinic.com. Those afflicted with COPD rarely show improvement on a corticosteroid alone since emphysema and chronic bronchitis, forms of COPD, are degenerative in nature. The strength of the steroid and bronchodilator helps improve the quality of breathing by treating both short-term and long-term issues at once.
