Bronchial asthma is a serious illness, which is characterized by chronic airways inflammation and bronchial hyperresponsiveness. Contact with allergen, emotional stress, cold air – all this can trigger another life-threatening asthma attack.
In the past decade doctors were able to achieve a lot in asthma treatment. Modern drugs have excellent effect, can control disease course, protecting patient from severe exacerbations.
All the drugs used in bronchial asthma treatment can be divided into two major groups:
- bronchodilators – eliminate bronchial muscle spasm, expanding lumen for air flow;
- substances having anti-inflammatory action – remove edema and also contribute to alleviating patient’s breathing.
Asthma Inhalers
Asthma inhalers online are an excellent way to deliver drug directly to target organ. If the drug is injected into a vein or taken orally, it passes through plurality of vessels, liver, is distributed throughout the whole body.
Bronchial asthma attack is not a state when it is possible to wait ten minutes until the drug begins to «work». If a means is delivered directly to airways, its action begins immediately. Plus inhaler is relatively easy to use. Injection should be carried out in compliance with rules of antiseptics and requires some skill on performer’s side. Children often are afraid of injections, but positively perceive inhalers.
The above reasons make inhaler during asthma a real panacea, that in the near future is not planned to be replaced.
Our pharmacy offers to buy asthma inhalers online at reasonable price. We provide a wide range of drugs and inhalers for asthma treatment of various types and severity degree (read more).
Inhalers Types
Inhaler is a special device that provides drugs entering patient’s airways. If the first unit, introduced in 1874, was characterized by simplicity and unwieldiness, at present time, there are several variations, each of which has its pluses and minuses.
Dosage Powder Inhalers
These devices provide administering a determined by manufacturer dose of dry powder. Their advantage is simplicity of use and great efficiency. However, they are more expensive than other devices.
Spacers
Represent chambers, made of plastic or metal, that are attached to inhaler. They play a role of valve mechanism: the drug enters airways only when patient inhales it. If patient made an exhalation – valve closes, and the drug is wasted.
Spacers significantly simplify inhalation and ensure drug penetration deep into lung. Spacers use in children’s treatment should be mentioned separately: children are not always able to properly breath during inhalation, and the device delivers drug into the body, regardless of how patient breathes.
Their disadvantage is that it is not always convenient to take both inhaler and spacer with you (device is often larger than a pocket inhaler).
Dosage Fluid Device
It provides a certain amount of drug released in the form of aerosols. Its advantage is price, simplicity and reliability of design. The disadvantage is that aerosol penetrates airways only in case of simultaneous inhalation with drug release. It requires a long patient training, but an adult can easily cope with the task. Also, aerosol is heavier than powder and its precipitation in the mouth and its swallowing is inevitable, but producers take into account this factor during dosage selection.
Nebulizer
These are devices for inhalation, providing medication nebulization at very small fractions. Due to this light particles reach the most distant parts of respiratory tract, and the best effect is achieved. According to principle of work nebulizers can be compressor and ultrasonic (special membrane vibrates and breaks material into fractions).
Nebulizers (learn more) are usually unwieldiness (relative to pocket inhaler) which does not allow to carry them with you and use whenever you need them, but are perfect for home treatment.
In recent years, the number of portable nebulizers is increasing. They can operate on batteries, but they are not yet included in broad practice and are quite expensive.
After a series of medical studies scientists have found that many patients during inhalation make mistakes that reduce treatment effectiveness. A perfect solution to this problem was creation of inhalers activated by patient’s inhale. The device «feels» when air flow rushes into lungs and independently emits necessary dosage.
The Most Common Inhalers
Pharmacies now offer a large variety of drugs for asthma treatment. Patient must understand that names of asthma inhalers (Turbuhaler, Pulvinal, Diskus, Easyhaler, Diskhaler and many others) are not always the drugs name themselves. One and the same active substance may be sold under different trade names.
As mentioned above, all preparations for asthma treatment are divided into two major subgroups: bronchodilators and anti-inflammatory drugs. Various drugs of both groups may be found in our pharmacy – Asthma Inhalers Online – at any time. We will supply you with necessary medications for effective asthma treatment and qualified consultations on their usage if needed.
Broncholytic Drugs
Sympathomimetics – drugs, the effect of which stimulates bronchi receptors and expand their lumen. At present, there are widely used short-acting selective adrenoceptor agonist as they are quickly able to stop disease attack and also rapidly cleared from patient’s body. If to list their names, they are: salbutamol, terbutaline, levalbuterol, etc.
Muscarinic receptor blockers – provide bronchi relaxation. Of the entire group of drugs for patients with asthma only ipratropium (atrovent) is suitable. This material is very poorly absorbed in gastrointestinal tract and is used exclusively by inhalation.
Methylxanthines – have a complex mechanism of action based on certain enzymes blockage in the body. As a result of their action bronchi smooth muscles relaxes and bronchodilator effect is achieved. This group of drugs include theophylline and aminophylline.
Glucocorticoids – drugs with a powerful anti-inflammatory effect, which is achieved through several mechanisms (enhances adrenaline action, removes bronchi mucosal edema). These drugs are characterized by numerous side effects when administered systemically, so scientists have created inhalers, effecting only lungs and not having numerous negative properties.
Anti-Inflammatory Agents
Inhaled glucocorticoids – a perfect solution for asthma attacks prevention of moderate severity. They include the following drugs: beclomethasone, budesonide, fluticasone, flunisolide.
Mast cell stabilizers – drugs that prevent release of certain biologically active substances leukocytes, causing inflammatory response and edema of bronchial mucosa.
These drugs are not widely used, but are actively used by pediatricians to prevent exercise-induced asthma and allergic conjunctivitis at children. They are not released in the form of inhalers, but are widely used as simple aerosols intended for nasal mucosa lavement. Representatives of the group: cromolyn and nedocromil.
Leukotriene inhibitors (zafirlukast, monteleukast, zileuton) – prevent these active substances formation and mucosal edema development. As inhalers are not applied, but are often used together with them to treat aspirin-induced asthma.
Anti-immunoglobulin E (omalizumab) – antibodies that inhibit its attaching to mast cells. The drug is used when asthma is not treatable by other methods and combinations of drugs, is characterized by high costs, but at the same time provides long-lasting effect.
Despite a variety of drugs for bronchial asthma, it standard treatment for most patients is by using short-acting selective beta-adrenergic agonists (according to «when necessary» principle) together with inhaled glucocorticoids. In pediatric practice there are widely used mast cell membranes stabilizers.
To describe all inhalers used to treat asthma in one article is very difficult, and there is no need to do that. They all contain in their composition substances listed above in various combinations and dosages. The attending doctor examining patient prescribes a certain drug, depending on data obtained during diagnosis. Asthma Inhalers Online will help to quickly find prescribed inhalers in our product list and manage fast delivery. Visit our website and make an order right now.
Symbicort Turbuhaler
As an example, we will consider one of the most currently common inhalers for asthma. It can be used both as means for arresting attacks and for maintenance therapy purpose. It is composed of budesonide and formoterol.
Budesonide – inhaled glucocorticosteroid, providing rapid and prolonged anti-inflammatory effect on airways. Characterized by low adverse effects incidence.
Formoterol – beta-adrenergic receptors agonist. After inhalation also causes rapid (1-3 minutes) and long-lasting effect (up to 12 hours).
Both substances are metabolized in liver to inactive metabolites and excreted with urine. It has been established that neither original substances, nor their modified forms interact with each other in the body, allowing each drug to perform its function.
It is strictly forbidden to independently determine dosage received at one time. Only a doctor can do that. For some time after drug prescription, he examines the patient, supervising him, and gradually comes to the lowest dosage that provides adequate therapeutic effect.
Instructions for Use
A patient should be trained to properly use inhaler. Then the desired amount of drug will enter airways and effect will be maximized. It is important to consistently perform all actions and everything will be OK.
Preparing for use
- First, you need to unscrew and remove the cap.
- Inhaler must be hold with red dosage pump down. Turn the pump in one direction up to the stop, and then again up to the stop – in other direction (repeat these steps twice). Do not hold inhaler by mouthpiece when turning in order to avoid device breakage.
- Unscrew and remove the cap.
- Hold inhaler upright, red cap down, turn dosage pump alternatively in both directions. During this manipulation there should appear an audible click.
- Take a deep breath (just to the side – not through mouthpiece!).
- Mouthpiece is placed between teeth and clasped with lips to ensure tightness. After that patient must take a deep and strong breath (breathe only through mouth!).
- Exhale should be performed only after removing mouthpiece out of mouth.
- If your doctor has instructed to take more than one dose, then steps 2 to 5 are repeated necessary number of times.
- Carefully screw the cap, make sure it is securely locked. After that you need to rinse your mouth with water – do not swallow this water!
Dosage Admission
Powder taste is not felt, because it is inhaled is very small quantities. Mouthpiece should be regularly cleaned with clean dry cloth. Remember that it is fixed and can not be removed from inhaler.
Indicator on the bottle indicates approximate number of doses left. If its background turns red, it is necessary to acquire a new inhaler, because there is only 10 doses left. After figure «0» appears, inhaler is utilized and a new one is used.
If drugs intake will cause health deterioration, nausea, vomiting, cardiac disorders – immediately contact your doctor. Perhaps these are adverse reactions, which, although rare, but sometimes occur. In this case a doctor will suggest using another drug.