Inhalational Therapy

Inhalational therapy means delivering medicine straight to the airways as a fine mist or spray, so it acts where it is needed and less passes into the rest of the body. It is a mainstay of care for asthma and for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), and it is given through an inhaler — often with a spacer — or, for some situations, through a nebuliser.

What it is used for

• Quick relief of wheeze and breathlessness with a reliever (bronchodilator)
• Day-to-day control of asthma with a regular preventer that reduces airway inflammation
• Maintenance treatment in COPD to ease symptoms and reduce flare-ups
• Delivering higher doses during a flare, sometimes by nebuliser under supervision

Getting the technique right

Inhalers only work if the medicine reaches the airways, and studies consistently show that many people use them less effectively than they think. At Allergy Asthma Foundation, technique is taught in person and checked at follow-up visits.

Inhaler with a spacer

A spacer is a chamber that holds the puff of medicine so you can breathe it in steadily. It improves delivery and reduces the chance of throat irritation with preventer inhalers. For young children a spacer with a soft mask is used.

Nebuliser

A nebuliser turns liquid medicine into a mist breathed through a mouthpiece or mask over several minutes. It needs no coordination, which is helpful for very young children, older adults, or during a significant flare.

What to expect at a session

1. Your symptoms and current inhalers are reviewed.
2. The correct device and dose for you are chosen or confirmed.
3. Technique is demonstrated, then you practise it and are corrected.
4. If a nebuliser is used, you sit comfortably and breathe normally until the chamber is empty; your breathing may be checked before and after.

Afterwards and possible effects

Reliever inhalers can cause a brief fast heartbeat or mild shakiness in some people. Preventer inhalers that contain a steroid can occasionally lead to a hoarse voice or oral thrush; rinsing the mouth after use and using a spacer reduce this. Tell your clinician if you are needing your reliever often, as that is a sign the overall plan needs review.

Booking and follow-up

Inhalational therapy is set up as part of an asthma or COPD consultation. Bring all the inhalers you currently use, including empty ones. Regular reviews allow treatment to be stepped up or down and technique to be re-checked.

This page is general information and not a substitute for a consultation. Symptoms overlap between conditions, so a clinician's assessment is the reliable way to know what is going on and what will help in your case.