A group of lung diseases including asthma, chronic bronchitis, and emphysema, is called chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). This condition is characterized by breathing difficulties which are typically treated with medicines like bronchodilators or inhaled steroids which reduce swelling and open up the airways.
Inhalers are devices used to deliver a puff or spray of medicine into the lungs through a mouthpiece. They are commonly used for treating COPD as they provide relief much faster compared to pills. So today, we are going to have a closer look at the three main types of inhalers which include metered-dose inhalers (MDI), dry powder inhalers (DPI), and soft mist inhalers (SMI). Let’s begin!
3 Main Types of Inhalers for COPD
Metered-dose Inhaler
The first type of inhaler for treating COPD is a metered-dose inhaler. An MDI is a handheld device used for treating asthma by delivering medicine in the form of an aerosol. It includes a canister attached to the mouthpiece which when pressed releases a puff of medicine.
It is important that you time your breathing with the release of the medicine when using a metered-dose inhaler. Otherwise, if you aren’t able to do so, you should use another device called a spacer which controls your inhaled breath with the release of the medicine.
When speaking of COPD, patients may use an MDI with steroids like Flovent HFA or a combination of bronchodilators and steroids like Symbicort.
Advantages of metered-dose inhalers include:
- Easy to use and handle
- Used with different COPD drugs
Disadvantages of metered-dose inhalers include:
- Breathing – medicine release coordination
- Requires slow and deep inhaling
Dry Powder Inhaler
Moving on to the second type, a dry powder inhaler (DPI) is different from the MDI as it doesn’t require you to press a propellant to release the medicine. Instead, it delivers medicine when you breathe in through the mouthpiece. In other words, your inward breath releases the medicine.
In addition, you can get a dry powder inhaler as a single-dose or multiple-dose device which can contain up to two hundred doses. And, COPD drugs that can be used with DPIs feature steroids like Pulmicort or bronchodilators like Spiriva.
Advantages of dry powder inhalers include:
- Easy to use
- No breathing – medicine release coordination
Disadvantages of dry powder inhalers include:
- You should breathe in harder
- Difficult to get the same dose every time you use it
Soft Mist Inhaler
Last but not least, the third type, the soft mist inhaler (SMI), is actually the newest type of inhaler. It produces a cloud of medicine and, like the dry powder inhaler, doesn’t use a propellant to help release the medicine.
What’s more, compared to the other types, an SMI helps more of the drug get into the lungs as the mist contains fore particles and the medicine releases more slowly. COPD drugs that can be used with this inhaler include bronchodilators such as tiotropium (Spiriva Respimat) and olodaterol (Striverdi Respimat), as well as a combination of both.
Advantages of soft mist inhalers include:
- More medicine gets into the lungs
- The mist releases slowly
- No breathing – medicine release coordination
Disadvantages of soft mist inhalers include:
Conclusion
All of the above-listed inhalers help relieve COPD symptoms if used correctly. Also, they all come with pros and cons so ensure you consult your doctor before choosing your preferred device.