Respiratory
Breathing Treatment and Respiratory Care
There are many different medicines used to treat breathing problems such as asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). There are two main types of treatment: ‘relievers’ and ‘preventers’. Reliever medicines, such as salbutamol and salmeterol, work quickly to widen the airways and make breathing easier. Preventer medicines are taken regularly to reduce swelling and inflammation in the lungs and airways. Examples of preventer medicines include beclometasone, fluticasone and montelukast. Usually a combination of reliever and preventer medicines is used to manage the symptoms of asthma and COPD.
What are breathing treatments?
Many people breathe without giving it much thought. People with respiratory conditions, such as asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), usually need breathing treatments to help them breathe freely.
During breathing treatments, medications enter the lungs through either an inhaler or a nebulizer. Both are only available with a prescription. They each have their own benefits and risks.
An inhaler is a handheld device that stores medication in a pressurized canister. It releases medication in aerosol form in your mouth. There are also nasal inhalers that release medication into your nose.
A nebulizer uses an air compressor to turn medication into a fine mist that you inhale through a face mask. Some nebulizers need to be plugged in. Others are portable and run on batteries.
While many respiratory conditions respond well to both inhalers and nebulizers, some may do better with one or the other.