Contents:
- Medical Video: Asthma Myth: Use of steroids as a treatment option and its side effects
- Get to know more about various types of inhalers
- What are the side effects of inhalers that might appear?
- Side effects of reliever inhalers or ventolin inhalers
- Side effects of preventer inhalers or inhalers with corticosteroids
- I regularly use inhalers to reduce asthma symptoms. Then how to prevent side effects of inhalers?
Medical Video: Asthma Myth: Use of steroids as a treatment option and its side effects
For those of you who have asthma, the presence of an inhaler near you will be very helpful if someday recurrent asthma. But just like other drugs, inhalers can cause side effects. Especially in people who are more sensitive to the content of inhalers than others. Side effects of asthma inhalers can also vary between types and dosages.
Get to know more about various types of inhalers
The commonly used asthma inhaler is usually divided into two, namely inhaler reliever which contains albuterol or salbutamol and preventer inhaler which contains corticosteroids. What distinguishes the two?
Inhaler reliever which contains albuterol commonly called ventolin inhalers. Usually, the color of this inhaler is blue. Ventolin inhalers can work quickly in less than 15 minutes to stop an asthma attack. This inhaler is very effective as a medication to relieve mild to severe asthma attacks.
Whereas, unlike Ventolin, preventer inhaler contain corticosteroids. These inhalers are usually brown, red or orange and are used for prevention purposes. This type of inhaler has a long working effect so it is commonly used daily. This inverter needs to be used routinely and daily. Therefore, using this type of inhaler for a number of purposes, such as improving asthma control, reducing symptoms, and reducing the need to go back and forth to the hospital.
Corticosteroids work to reduce inflammation in the airways and only a few will be absorbed by the body. However, the steroids used in preventer inhalers to relieve asthma symptoms take longer to work effectively.
What are the side effects of inhalers that might appear?
Because both types of inhalers have different substances, the side effects will also be different. The following are various side effects of inhalers used by people with asthma.
Side effects of reliever inhalers or ventolin inhalers
The mild side effects of ventolin inhalers include:
- Headache and dizziness
- Sleep disorders or insomnia
- Feeling pain in the muscles
- Runny or stuffy nose
- The mouth and throat feel dry
- Cough
- Hoarseness and sore throat
However, you need to be aware if the side effects below appear and immediately consult a doctor. Side effects of severe inhalers, namely:
- Chest pain, pounding and irregular heartbeat
- Tremor
- Anxiety symptoms
- Blood potassium levels decrease. This can cause muscle weakness, feeling weak and extreme thirst
- High blood pressure
- Paradoxical bronchospasm, such as chest tightness and difficulty breathing
Side effects of preventer inhalers or inhalers with corticosteroids
In addition to ventolin inhalers, it turns out that inhalers with corticosteroids also have symptoms of side effects. The following are some of the symptoms that will appear.
- Mouth and throat hurt
- Fungal infections of the mouth
- Cough
- Loss of bone strength in adults
- Cataract
- High blood pressure in the eye area and the appearance of glaucoma or fluid in the eye. This occurs if long-term use of corticostredoid inhalers.
However, corticosteroid inhalers will not cause serious side effects such as the use of corticosteroids in other forms, such as fluids, pills or injections that can cause porous bones,
I regularly use inhalers to reduce asthma symptoms. Then how to prevent side effects of inhalers?
As explained above, the inhaler will not cause serious side effects if used as recommended. The following are ways you can do to prevent the appearance of side effects.
- Use in the right dosage. Use an adjustable inhaler to prevent overdosing.
- Wash your mouth after using the inhaler. But make sure, there should be no water swallowed after you wash his mouth. The effect can be worse when corticosteroids go into the mix.
- Prevent the factors that cause asthma so that asthma does not recur frequently. It could be, everyone has a different causative factor. But generally changes in air and the level of air cleanliness affect asthma in many people.
