Asthma is a condition of the lungs in which the bronchial tubes become constricted due to irritants and allergies. People who suffer from asthma require treatment to prevent it from becoming a life-threatening situation. The bronchial tubes and the muscles surrounding them constrict the air flow into the lungs. Bronchodilators are medications used in the treatment of asthma to prevent such constriction.
Rescue Inhalers
Rescue inhalers, or short-acting bronchodilators, are used during an asthma attack for immediate relief of symptoms. These typically are inhaled through the mouth with a metered-dose applicator. They are corticosteroids that are anti-inflammatory medicines. These types of drugs include Proventil and Ventolin (generically, albuterol) and Xopenex (generically, levalbuterol) among others. The inhalers may be portable so that you can carry them with you, or these medications are inhaled through use of a nebulizer. With the nebulizer, you pour the contents of a single vial of the drug into the reservoir of the mouthpiece, put the mouthpiece in your mouth, turn on the machine (which must be plugged in or run by batteries) and breathe normally. These types of bronchodilators include beta-2 agonists that are short-acting.
Symptom Prevention
Other bronchodilators are used as inhaled medications but are not designed to treat immediate symptoms, according to the Mayo Clinic. They work to prevent asthma attacks through regular use. These medications include Pulmicort (generically, budesonide), Beclovent (generically, beclomethasone), Azmacort (generically, triamcinolone acetonide), Flovent (generically, fluticasone) and Advair (generically, a combination of salmeterol and fluticasone) among others. These typically are administered through inhalation devices. For example, Advair is administered in metered doses by inhaling it from a diskus. These drugs are known as long-acting bronchodilators that may be corticosteroids and LABAs or beta-2 agonists.
Oral Bronchodilators
There also are some bronchodilators that are taken in pill form. These medications are used to open the airways and reduce the amount of mucus production and inflammation caused by an asthmatic attack. They include Singulair (generically, montelukast sodium), Accolate (generically, zafirlukast) and Zyflo CR (generically, zileuton) among others. These types of medicines should be taken routinely to help prevent severe asthma attacks, but they will not help if you are in the midst of an attack, the Mayo Clinic reports.
