inhaler

inhaler /in·hal·er/ (in-hāl´er)

1. an apparatus for administering vapor or volatilized medications by inhalation.

2. ventilator (2).

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in·hal·er (n-hlr)

n.

A device that produces a vapor to ease breathing or is used to medicate by inhalation, especially a small nasal applicator containing a volatile medicament. Also called inhalator.

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inhaler

Etymology: L, in + halare; to breathe

a device for administering medications to be inhaled, such as vapors, fine powders, or volatile substances. An inhaler also may be designed to administer anesthetic gases.

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inhaler,

n 1. a device that produces a vapor to ease breathing or is used to medicate by inhalation, especially a small nasal applicator containing a volatile medicament. Also called
nasal inhaler. 2. a device that is placed over the nose to permit inhalation of anesthetic agents.

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inhaler

an apparatus for administering vaporized or volatilized agents by inhalation, or for protecting the lungs from harmful substances in the air.

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inhaler

Therapeutics A device that delivers a therapeutic agent. See Metered-dose inhaler, Nicotrol inhaler.

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Patient discussion about inhaler.

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:
<br><object width='425' height='355' id='FiveminPlayer'><param name='allowfullscreen' value='true'/><param name='movie' value='http://www.5min.com/Embeded/8938/'/><embed src='http://www.5min.com/Embeded/8938/' type='application/x-shockwave-flash' width='425' height='355' allowfullscreen='true'></embed></object>

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.