Many people suffer from asthma, myself included, but what exactly does that little inhaler do? Well, first let's start with what asthma is. Asthma is a disorder that causes the airways of the lungs to swell and narrow, much like a vacuum hose with a kink in it, which causes shortness of breath, chest tightness, wheezing, and coughing. This swelling and narrowing of the airways is inflammation that is triggered by allergens, or allergy causing substances. These allergens come in a variety of forms including:
Animal hair
Dust
Changes in weather (usually cold weather)
Chemicals in the air or in food
Exercise (rapid breathing often induces asthma)
Mold
Pollen
Respiratory infections such as the cold or Influenza
Strong emotions (stress)
Tobacco smoke
Inhalers are little tubes of compressed gas, usually filled with albuteral. When you inhale the albuteral, gas particles flood into your lungs, stick to the inflammatory tissue, and quickly forces the inflammation to recede.
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