Inhalers, also known as bronchodilators, are hand-held medical devices that are used to deliver
medication from the mouth to the lungs. It helps to loosen the tightened muscles around the
airways and open the airway to increase the amount of air passing through.
Most Common Medicine
This is the most common form of medicine used by people suffering from asthma. The patient uses
the inhaler during an attack as it makes the airways swell which makes the path narrow. The
bronchodilator opens the airways and helps in breathing.
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Types Of Inhaler
The asthma treatment market mainly has three types of inhaler devices known as pressurised
metered dose inhalers (pMDI), dry powder inhaler (DPI), and soft mist inhaler (SMI).
The pressurised metred dose inhalers are comprised of a pressurised canister that contains the
medication. The medicine is passed into the mouth through a boot-shaped plastic mouthpiece. The
medicine is released when the canister is pushed towards the boot of the inhaler.
Different metred dose inhalers are available in the market with additional features such as dose
counters that tell you how many doses are remaining in your inhaler. There are inhalers that
automatically release the medicine when we breathe in.
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The dry powders inhaler are usually used for respiratory diseases such as asthma, bronchitis, and
emphysema, among others. They deliver the medication into the lungs in a dry powder form. This
device is activated when you breathe deeply through your mouth, it releases the powder from the
inhaler. There are multiple devices, with some capable of holding up to 200 doses, and single-dose
devices which can be filled before each dose.
Soft mist inhalers are devices that convert liquid medicine into mist form when inhaled. These
inhalers release a low-velocity mist that is slowly inhaled by the patient over an extended period of
time compared to metered and dry powder inhalers.
Nebulizer
There is another device called Nebulizer, which turns the asthma medicine into a fine mist that is
inhaled through a mouthpiece or mask that covers the mouth or nose. A nebulizer is generally
prescribed to people who cannot use an inhaler or those who need a large dose of medication.
Most devices do not come with a counter for the doses remaining in the inhaler, in such cases, the
patient will need to keep count of the doses manually, with the help of a counter or by using smart
inhalers.
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Smart Inhalers
Smart inhalers are devices that contain sensors and are Bluetooth-enabled to connect to an app on
the mobile, computer, or tablet, and enable data transfer from the smart inhaler device. Some smart
inhalers come with extra features that can send reminders if the person using the device is in a high
pollution area and automatically tracks the patient using the inhaler. The recorded data can then
help both the patient and the doctor to manage the medication and asthma in a better manner.
With enough recorded data, the next asthma attack can also be predicted, which will help the
patient to avert it and reduce further lung damage.
The smart inhalers market has developed advanced devices that keep a detailed record of when and
where the dose was taken, this data will help the doctor to identify the trigger factors of asthma Treatment.
Some smart inhalers are even capable of telling if the patient is using the inhaler with proper
technique and the right amount of medicine is reaching the lungs.
These smart devices are very beneficial for the future of personalised treatments as they will help
both patients and doctors to reduce the chances of error and enable the specialist to identify
triggers in a better way. This will significantly improve the treatment procedure and quality of life for Asthma patients.