Bronchodilators open up the air passages making breathing easier. Narrowing of the air passages causes wheezing, commonly seen in people with asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. Inhaled bronchodilator medications can more quickly open narrowed air passages since they are inhaled directly into the lungs.

Bronchodilator medications come in two forms:

• Short-acting inhaled bronchodilators:
• Used for the treatment of acute asthma attacks
• Long-acting inhaled bronchodilators:
• Not recommended for the treatment of asthma unless combined with a corticosteroid
• In adults, they may be administered in a mixture with corticosteroids such as formoterol plus budesonide (Symbicort) or salmeterol plus fluticasone (Advair)
• Not recommended for use in children

Most of these bronchodilator medications come in a variety of forms:

• Liquid form for addition to a nebulizer device (pumps compressed air through the liquid, in order to create a mist of medication that can be inhaled)
• Metered dose inhaler
• With and without spacers
• Powder inhaler:
• No need to coordinate the pumping with the breathing
• Breath activated metered dose inhaler:
• Helps out people who have problems using the standard metered dose inhaler

Short-acting inhaled bronchodilators include:

• Albuterol (Ventolin, Proventil, Volmax)
• Bitolterol (Tornalate)
• Isoproterenol (Isuprel)
• Levalbuterol (Xopenex HFA)
• Metaproterenol (Alupent, Metaprel)
• Pirbuterol (Maxair)
• Terbutaline (Brethaire, Brethine, Bricanyl)
• Ipratropium (Atrovent)

Long-acting inhaled bronchodilator and corticosteroid mixtures include:

• Formoterol plus budesonide (Symbicort)
• Salmeterol plus fluticasone (Advair)