beclomethasone
Meaning of beclomethasone: Beclomethasone is an inhaled and topical corticosteroid used long term to control asthma, allergic rhinitis, and certain inflammatory bowel conditions.
Definition of beclomethasone
Beclomethasone is a synthetic corticosteroid, a class of drugs that reduce inflammation by mimicking hormones normally produced by the adrenal glands. It is most commonly delivered as an inhaled medication to control persistent asthma or as a nasal spray for allergic rhinitis, where it reduces airway and nasal passage inflammation while only a small fraction of the drug reaches the rest of the body.
A specially formulated oral capsule form of beclomethasone dipropionate targets inflammation within the digestive tract itself and has been studied for conditions such as inflammatory bowel disease and graft versus host disease affecting the gut, uses distinct from its inhaled and nasal forms.
Because beclomethasone acts largely at the site where it is delivered, inhaled and nasal formulations generally carry a lower risk of the widespread side effects associated with corticosteroid tablets or injections, though local effects such as oral thrush or nasal irritation can still occur.
Used in a sentence
The patient was prescribed an inhaled beclomethasone regimen to improve control of persistent asthma symptoms.
Good to know
Confusion sometimes arises between beclomethasone's long established inhaled and nasal uses for asthma and allergy and its separate, still investigational oral form studied for intestinal graft versus host disease.