inhalants

inhalants,

n.pl 1. chemical vapors that are inhaled for their mind-altering effects.
2. in herbology, volatile herbal compounds that are delivered by holding a soaked pad to the nose and mouth, by placing the herbs in steaming water, or by rubbing on ointments that contain the substances.

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Patient discussion about inhalants.

Q. Does steroids make children shorter? My 10 years-old son has asthma, and is treated with a steroid inhaler. Will this treatment cause him to be shorter in the future?

A. Lower doses of inhaled steroids were generally found to have a smaller effect on growth.
However, it seems that there is compensation for the growth delay, for example by growing for longer periods, so that the long term effect is apparently minimal.

Q. How can I know the inhaler is empty? My 8 years-old boy has asthma and he takes steroids with inhaler. Every time it runs out of med we get a prescription for a new one. Is that OK? A friend that her son is treated with similar inhaler told me that towards the end it no longer delivers enough medication. How can I know I should get a new one?

A. Here is a video you may find usefull:
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Q. What are the side effects for the regular asthma inhalers? I am taking an inhaler (non-steroid one) for my asthma and I wanted to know what can be possible side effects to this treatment.

A. Simple inhalers that contain a material that helps with keeping the bronchi not constricted, have side effects that are related to the sympathetic nervous system- such as slight tremor, small increase in heart rate or blood pressure, but these are all in greater risk when taking in a not-inhaled way. Patients must be cautioned against using these medicines too frequently, as with such use their efficacy may decline, producing desensitization resulting in an exacerbation of symptoms which may lead to refractory asthma, meaning that the attack might not be relieved by these medications anymore.