Advantages and Disadvantages of Different Inhaler Devices: Inhalers are the very first thing prescribed by doctors to the patients with asthma or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). Every patient or the ones who have their family or friends struggling with such respiratory or chronic diseases know about what Inhalers are? Although it is a primary source of medication to the ones having respiratory or pulmonary issues. On the contrary, they must have heard that it is dangerous too.
No wonder that, people have opinions on the medications too, but definitely we cannot take the risk. So here Dr, Sheetu Singh has come with some great information about inhalers to the readers. This blog will tell you the advantages, as well as the disadvantages of Inhalers. Not the 100% surety, but this information will clear some doubts to the concerned people.
So without wasting more minutes, let’s dive into the real info.
What are Inhalers?
Well before jumping into the perks and lacks; better is to know what we are intaking. Inhalers are these small hand-handheld devices, which contain a small bottle with dry powder or soft mist kind of medicine inside and the user will pump it to intake medicine through his mouth directly to his lungs. This will work efficiently and immediately in a few minutes, which opens your narrowed airways and reduces inflammation in your lungs.
Different Types of Inhalers
The advantages and disadvantages of inhalers depend upon its types. There are commonly 3 types of inhalers available; and all 3 of them have different perks and drawbacks. Therefore, learn about the types of inhalers:
Metered Dose Inhalers
Metered Dose Inhalers (MDI or pMDI); these are also known as “Puffers.” In the puffers, a small canister is attached to the handheld device holding to the medicine. It also has a mouthpiece along the device for the user to intake the puff accordingly. The person will hold the mouthpiece into his mouth, press the canister downwards, and the propellant (something which holds the medicine inside the canister) will release medicine to the patient’s mouth. The patient will intake the medicine through his mouth, and pull the medicine inside directly to his lungs. It is the most preferred inhaler by the pulmonologists.
Dry Powdered Inhalers
DPI is a kind of inhaler, in which the patient does not require to press the canister, but he has to deep breathe and pull the medicine inside the lungs. The medicine is stored in capsules, and you will have a hand-helded device in which the patient has to stick the capsules at its place. Then he has to rotate the lower lid, which spreads the medicine inside the device, and later the patient will deep breathe and pull the medicine inside.
There are different types of Dry Powdered Inhalers (DPIs) available, based on different brands designs.
Soft Mist Inhalers are in liquid form, which turns into mist, and the patient will directly consume medicine through mouth to his lungs via breathing.
Advantages and Disadvantages of Different Types of Inhalers
Inhaler Type | Advantages | Disadvantages |
| Metered Dose Inhalers | Easy to carry, Portable Source of Medication | Need to coordinate with breadth while pressing |
| Easy to Intake | Patients cannot coordinate with inhaler’s pressing time and their breadth (in some cases) | |
| Right amount of medicine in single dose | Can cause irritation in mouth and throat | |
| Dry Powdered Inhaler | No need to coordinate between inhaling and pressing the button to inhale | Difficult for the to intake who has improper or worse lung functioning |
| Can use without shaking | Some people cannot take it, because they cannot deeply breathe inside | |
| Improved storage and no effect by cold weather | More efforts to intake, because a deep breathing is required in DPI. | |
| Soft Mist Inhalers | Deliver medicine to the lungs slowly through gentle mist | It is expensive compared to other inhalers |
| Suitable to those patients, who has coordination issues with breathing and inhaling | Regular cleaning and maintaining the equipments of the device | |
| Easier and simpler intake with any angle | It is a bit challenging to find such inhalers in the nearby pharmaceutical shops. |
Conclusion
We hope that you got enough basic information, which is required for the patients to know about the inhalers. No wonder that inhalers are good for the patients having asthmatic, COPD, and other respiratory issues. But at the very same time, these are harmful too.
After gaining all the above information and self-research we have conducted; we conclude here that “It is very crucial to carry inhalers for the patients having such diseases.” To prevent its adverse effect, it is better you take suggestions and ask for the right dosage from a doctor. Never take inhalers without getting examined by a doctor, because he will study the condition and suggest for the best.
If you need suggestions, you can consult with the best pulmonologist in Jaipur “Dr. Sheetu Singh.” He is an experienced, and also well practiced doctor to suggest prescriptions.
