Bronchodilators Overview

✔ What are they?
Medications that help open the airways by relaxing the muscles around them, making breathing easier. They are commonly used to treat asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).

✔ How to recognize them?
Common examples include albuterol, salmeterol, formoterol, ipratropium, tiotropium, and theophylline.

✔ How do they work?
Relax airway smooth muscles → Open airways → Improve airflow and reduce breathing difficulty.

✔ Easy trick to remember:
"Breathing Boosters" (Bronchodilators boost airflow and relieve respiratory symptoms).

✔ Common uses:

• Asthma (for quick relief and long-term control)

• COPD (to ease breathing and reduce flare-ups)

• Exercise-induced bronchospasm

• Chronic bronchitis and emphysema