What are "bronchodilators"?

What are "bronchodilators"?

William Berger (Allergist and Immunologist) gives expert video advice on: How is asthma treated?; How important is it to identify my asthma triggers?; What side effects should I expect from my asthma medication? and more...

Bronchodilators are by their very term medications that dilate, relax or widen the airways. Bronchodilators come in many different forms and formulations. Bronchodilators come by injection, they come by syrup, they come by tablet, and they're most commonly used in inhaled form. There are inhaled bronchodilators that are short-acting and there are inhaled bronchodilators that are long-acting. The type of bronchodilator that you use and the formulation that you use should be tailored to your particular condition and should be appropriate for the type of problem that you had. That can be only achieved by discussing the medication with your doctor and using it as prescribed. Overusing bronchodilators is unfortunately a common reason why people end up in the emergency room in the hospital, so don't be one of those patients.