Albuterol (Ventolin or Proventil) works almost instantly to relax the smooth muscles surrounding the airways. It quickly opens the airways and reduces symptoms.
Unfortunately, its success is its greatest danger. All too often, children with wheezing will use a Proventil inhaler alone to treat the symptoms. Each time they use a puff of the inhaler they feel better, but all the while the airway lining is swelling and filling with mucus and fluid. Finally the symptoms come back, but the Proventil inhaler is no longer effective since the airway muscles are already as relaxed as they can get. At that point it is too late to relieve the swelling and inflammation and the child suffocates.
GENERIC NAME: albuterol
BRAND NAMES: Ventolin, Proventil, AccuNeb, Vospire, ProAir
Albuterol dilates bronchial airways by relaxing the muscles that surround the airways. Albuterol also can be helpful in patients with emphysema and chronic bronchitis when symptoms are partially related to spasm of the airways’ muscles. The FDA approved albuterol in May 1982.
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- Asthma Inhalers
- Asthma
- Asthma Medication and Treatment
- Managing Asthma
- Asthma Medication
- Help For Asthma Sufferers
- Infant Asthma
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