inhaler
Meaning of inhaler: An inhaler delivers medication as a fine mist or powder breathed into the lungs through the mouth, most often for asthma or COPD.
Definition of inhaler
An inhaler is a handheld device that delivers medication directly to the lungs as a fine mist, spray, or powder breathed in through the mouth. Because the medication reaches the airways directly, an inhaler can allow a smaller dose to act locally on the lungs compared with the same medication taken by mouth as a pill.
Inhalers are used to treat conditions affecting the airways, including asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, and different inhaled medications work in different ways, some relaxing the muscles around the airway to open it quickly and others reducing airway inflammation over time. Some inhalers deliver medication as a pressurized spray, while others release a dry powder activated by breathing in forcefully.
Correct inhaler technique affects how much medication actually reaches the lungs, and a spacer device is sometimes used with certain inhalers to improve delivery. Inhalers are distinct from nebulizers, which convert liquid medication into a mist over a longer period using a separate machine.
Used in a sentence
The patient was shown the correct technique for the prescribed inhaler at the follow up visit.
Good to know
Inhaler technique, including proper coordination of activation with a slow breath in, affects how much medication actually reaches the lungs, so device type and technique are considered together when a treatment is not working as expected.