Asthma! How do ventalin inhalers work?

Question

I know "how" they work, you inhale them. But my question is -

Ventalin inhalers for Asthma, they are magic, just 2 puffs and it immeditatley clears the air ways and enables me to breathe (literally straight away). Does anyone know quite what it is that makes them so magical? They work straight away. Whats the chemicals that do the trick? As technical an answer as you can give will be good.

Answer 1

ventolin is teh brand name (e.g. pepsi) and teh generic name is salbutomol (e.g. cola). this medicine is a reliever medication which is puffed into your lungs (via your inhaler pump) and stretches open your airways.

if you need to use thise medication more than a few times a week you may also need to use a preventer medication (e.g. an inhaled steroid of some sort). this preventer will clear your airways by clearing the lining on the walls of your airways. People with asthma tend to get a lot of build up on teh walls of their airways as well as a tightening of the airway itself.

When just your airways tighten (e.g. in response to cigarette smoke) you may have a milder asthma attack or breathing difficulty.

When the lining of your airways are clogged up and your airways tighten you may have a severe asthma attack.

Good luck with your treatment. And yes, when you can breathe after an attack, it is like the puffer has worked magic for you!

Answer 2

2

Answer 3

Asthma is an allergy and is triggered by something. The best non medication treatment for asthma is learning your triggers and avoiding them. Common triggers are smoke, dust, mold, mildew, plants, dust mites, pets and grass/weeds.

If you can not figure our your triggers, you may need to see an allergist and have allergy screening done. This may point out your triggers.

The National Asthma Prevention Program and the Expert Panel of Diagnosis and Management of Asthma both agree if you have to use a prescription inhaler such as albuterol more then two time per week, your asthma is NOT in control and you will need a prescription controller medication.

Controller medications are steroids (Asthmacort Asthmanex, Flovent, Pulmocort), Leukotriene modifier (Singulair, Aculade, Zyflo) or mast cell stabilizers (Cromolyn sodium, Intal, Tilade).

You may want to talk to your doctor about several strong controller medications and maybe Xolair shots.

If you want a proven, all-natural way to cure your asthma, without having to pay for useless medications with harmful side-effects, then this is the most important page you'll ever read.

Answer 4

During an asthma attack, the (smooth) muscle in the lining of the airways goes into spasm, and the airways constrict, giving you that feeling of not being able to breathe.

Ventolin is the trade name, salbutamol is the generic name. The drug acts on receptors called beta adrenoceptors. Salbutamol is a beta-2 agonist. This acts on smooth muscle in the airway lining to relax it, thus easing your breathing. It works straightaway cos the drug gets directly to the tissues where it will have an effect, unlike drugs that are swallowed that have to go through the gut first. (That is also why inhaler technique is important to get the drug right down into the deeper airways).

I'm glad you find them magical.

Answer 5

I am a sales rep for inhalers for Asthma. Ventolin is one of the inhalers on the market. It contains two isomers (drug) called S and R. The R isomer has all the theraputic bronchodilator drug in it. The S mirrors the R but is not necessary.
You inhale this drug and it goes to your lungs and helps to smooth and relax the muscle that is restricting your airway and thus causing you problems breathing. The best inhaler on the market is called Xopenex HFA. It contains only the R isomer and works faster and longer with half the drug needed. Ask your doctor about this drug.

Answer 6

Don't know the technicalities of them but they are great aren't they! I have to insist that I get proper Ventolin inhalers rather than the Salbutamol ones though as some mechanism in them means they work much better for me. Because they cost more though I have to request them specifically otherwise the NHS gives me the cheaper ones...

Answer 7

They work because the Salbutamol in them opens up your airways in your lungs to help get more oxygen into them.

Answer 8

I heard it relaxes and thus opens your air passages to the lungs.

Answer 9

to find the chemicals you can either google it or go to webmd.com. but the chemicals make the tubes that go into your lungs undilate....that is my technical terminology!

Answer 10

Try this site fella ;-)

http://www.netdoctor.co.uk/medicines/100004476.html