Breath activated inhaler (BAI) .

There are many types of inhalers out there, each catering to different severity levels of asthma. Knowing which is suitable for you is important for to combat asthma in the long run.

Let's start by talking about the most common inhaler many people use which is the metered dose inhaler or MDI. MDI was first introduced in 1956 and has been commonly used then. It consists of a mouth piece, contains a canister of medication and is L-shaped. The propellant used to contain a mixture of Freon gas. However, Freon gas is a CFC (chlorofluorocarbon) gas and we all know that CFC gas is the main culprit in destroying our ozone layer. It has since been replaced by an environmentally friendly agent of hydrofluoroalkane (HFA). The most common problem many people face when using MDI is that it requires good coordination between pressing the canister and inhaling the medication. This is disadvantageous to toddlers, whom parents may find it difficult to teach.

To solve this coordination problem presented by the MDI, breath activated inhaler (BAI) was developed. To use this inhaler, all the person needs to do is breathe in forcefully, thereby activating the mechanism to release the medication. However, the drawback is that it lacks an overdrive button when it malfunctions, definitely not suitable for someone that has severe narrowing of the bronchial tubes.

The second type of inhaler is the dry powered inhaler (DPI). Long acting beta 2 agonist drugs like salmeterol and formoterol can be found in DPI. Unlike MDI, this one is a lot easier to use as does not require proper technique of "inhaling first and pressing canister later" needed in implementing MDI. Also the particles in DPI are also smaller, resulting in more medication going in your lungs.

However the drawback is that the amount of medication received is proportional to how forceful your inhalation is. Not suitable for elderly. People with neurological disease may find it hard to load the powder capsule in the DPI.

The third type of inhaler is the nebulizer. This device is commonly found in emergency rooms in hospital. There are also portable ones available out there. For people to use this device, all it takes is just to breathe in normally. This makes it the easiest inhaler to use out of the above two mentioned. Nebulizers are favored by hospitals because it delivers about 4 to 10 times more can be delivered from the two puff of MDI.

However, the greater quantity may also mean that the side effects are stronger than using MDI. There are portable ones available but most asthmatics don't need it unless they suffer from chronic asthma or asthma that cannot be controlled by MDI or PDI alone. These devices are also a lot more expensive and more cumbersome.