Table of ContentsView AllTable of ContentsInhalersNebulizersOther TreatmentsWhen to Call a Healthcare Provider
Table of ContentsView All
View All
Table of Contents
Inhalers
Nebulizers
Other Treatments
When to Call a Healthcare Provider
Inhalers deliver medicines that can improve your ability to breathe when you have bronchitis. They are usually prescribed only for chronic bronchitis and severe cases of acute bronchitis. Inhalers contain medicines that treat bronchitis symptoms in different ways and have various side effects.
This article discusses which inhalers can help with bronchitis, when they’re used, and how they work.
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Inhalers for Bronchitis
If you have excessive wheezing, trouble breathing, or have chronic bronchitis, your healthcare provider may prescribe you one or more inhalers as a treatment option for your bronchitis. Inhalers deliver medicine right into your lungs, where they can help reduce swelling and open up your bronchi.
There are various options for inhalants that your healthcare provider may prescribe, based on your condition, your infection, and your long-term prognosis. These inhaled medications act in different ways and have different side effects.
Most of these inhaled medications are prescribed for chronic bronchitis or COPD, which gets progressively more severe and can be deadly. Which medications you’re prescribed will depend on how severe your chronic bronchitis is.
Beta-2 Agonists
Short-acting beta-2 agonists like albuterol may be used for bronchitis when the patient is wheezing or having trouble breathing.This might happen with either chronic or acute bronchitis.
A Cochrane report updated in 2015 suggests that regular prescription of beta-2 agonists isn’t useful for most acute bronchitis patients and is not helpful in children with bronchitis. However, they do seem to help patients with wheezing or whose swollen bronchi are obstructing their breathing. They can help these patients breathe easier.
Side effects of these medications include tremors, shakiness, and nervousness.
Inhaled Corticosteroids
Inhaled corticosteroidsare sometimes prescribed for chronic bronchitis and COPD. They are not used as monotherapy for COPD. These are used in conjunction with long-acting bronchodilators for severe disease (FEV1 <50%) or patients with frequent exacerbations.
High-dose inhaled corticosteroids can improve symptoms in those with chronic bronchitis as a part of COPD.They can slow down the rate of decline in quality of life and reduce the frequency of attacks. But they do not have a consistent long-term benefit in decreasing the loss of breathing capacity or risk of death.
Side effects of inhaled steroids include thrush in the mouth, hoarseness, and increased risk of developing pneumonia.
Long-Acting Beta-2 Agonists
Long-actingbeta-2 agonistsare used for moderate-to-severe chronic bronchitis when it interferes with the ability of the patient to breathe. Instead of the short-acting beta-2 agonists, which are used only during an attack, these prescription inhalers are used daily to prevent flare-ups.
They act on the muscles in the lungs to relax them, opening the airways. Long-acting beta-2 agonists are often prescribed in combination with inhaled steroids for daily preventive treatment for chronic bronchitis and COPD.
Side effects of long-acting beta-2 agonists are similar to those of short-acting beta-2 agonists. They include tremors, shakiness, and nervousness, along with headache, increased heart rate, dizziness, anxiety, and a rash.
Sometimes inhaled medications given in the hospital or at home are delivered through anebulizer, which lets a patient inhale the medication as a mist. A nebulizer can provide medication through a mask and doesn’t require the coordinated breathing of an inhaler.
They’re sometimes recommended for asthma, chronic bronchitis, and COPD patients who have a very low ability to breathe in. A nebulizer could deliver any of the above inhaler medications if it’s more effective. The medications would have the same side effects as taken through an inhaler.
Other Treatments for Bronchitis
If you have pain or a fever, try over-the-counter pain relievers to feel better, including:
Lifestyle changes, like quitting smoking or reducing your exposure to secondhand smoke or other irritants, can also help prevent chronic bronchitis from getting worse and reduce your need for inhalers and other treatments.
If you have chronic bronchitis, see a healthcare provider and get treatment before your symptoms get worse and limit your breathing further.
Summary
Inhalers, which contain medications such as beta-2 agonists, inhaled corticosteroids, and long-acting beta-2 agonists, are commonly used to treat chronic bronchitis and severe cases of acute bronchitis. Nebulizers, which deliver medications in the form of a mist, are also used. Lifestyle changes, such as quitting smoking, may help prevent chronic bronchitis from worsening, which can reduce your need for inhalers and other treatments.
7 SourcesVerywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.MedlinePlus.Chronic bronchitis.Scott Kinkade, MD, MSPH, and Natalie A. Long, MD.Acute bronchitis.Am Fam Physician.2016 Oct 1;94(7):560-565.Becker LA, Hom J, Villasis-Keever M, van der Wouden JC.Beta2-agonists for acute cough or a clinical diagnosis of acute bronchitis. Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2015;2015(9):CD001726. doi:10.1002/14651858.CD001726.pub5American Academy of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology.Inhaled asthma medications.Tashkin DP, Strange C.Inhaled corticosteroids for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease: What is their role in therapy?Int J Chron Obstruct Pulmon Dis. 2018;13:2587-2601. doi:10.2147/COPD.S172240Tashkin DP.A review of nebulized drug delivery in COPD.Int J Chron Obstruct Pulmon Dis. 2016;11:2585-2596. doi:10.2147/COPD.S114034Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Chest cold (acute bronchitis).
7 Sources
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.MedlinePlus.Chronic bronchitis.Scott Kinkade, MD, MSPH, and Natalie A. Long, MD.Acute bronchitis.Am Fam Physician.2016 Oct 1;94(7):560-565.Becker LA, Hom J, Villasis-Keever M, van der Wouden JC.Beta2-agonists for acute cough or a clinical diagnosis of acute bronchitis. Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2015;2015(9):CD001726. doi:10.1002/14651858.CD001726.pub5American Academy of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology.Inhaled asthma medications.Tashkin DP, Strange C.Inhaled corticosteroids for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease: What is their role in therapy?Int J Chron Obstruct Pulmon Dis. 2018;13:2587-2601. doi:10.2147/COPD.S172240Tashkin DP.A review of nebulized drug delivery in COPD.Int J Chron Obstruct Pulmon Dis. 2016;11:2585-2596. doi:10.2147/COPD.S114034Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Chest cold (acute bronchitis).
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.
MedlinePlus.Chronic bronchitis.Scott Kinkade, MD, MSPH, and Natalie A. Long, MD.Acute bronchitis.Am Fam Physician.2016 Oct 1;94(7):560-565.Becker LA, Hom J, Villasis-Keever M, van der Wouden JC.Beta2-agonists for acute cough or a clinical diagnosis of acute bronchitis. Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2015;2015(9):CD001726. doi:10.1002/14651858.CD001726.pub5American Academy of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology.Inhaled asthma medications.Tashkin DP, Strange C.Inhaled corticosteroids for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease: What is their role in therapy?Int J Chron Obstruct Pulmon Dis. 2018;13:2587-2601. doi:10.2147/COPD.S172240Tashkin DP.A review of nebulized drug delivery in COPD.Int J Chron Obstruct Pulmon Dis. 2016;11:2585-2596. doi:10.2147/COPD.S114034Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Chest cold (acute bronchitis).
MedlinePlus.Chronic bronchitis.
Scott Kinkade, MD, MSPH, and Natalie A. Long, MD.Acute bronchitis.Am Fam Physician.2016 Oct 1;94(7):560-565.
Becker LA, Hom J, Villasis-Keever M, van der Wouden JC.Beta2-agonists for acute cough or a clinical diagnosis of acute bronchitis. Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2015;2015(9):CD001726. doi:10.1002/14651858.CD001726.pub5
American Academy of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology.Inhaled asthma medications.
Tashkin DP, Strange C.Inhaled corticosteroids for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease: What is their role in therapy?Int J Chron Obstruct Pulmon Dis. 2018;13:2587-2601. doi:10.2147/COPD.S172240
Tashkin DP.A review of nebulized drug delivery in COPD.Int J Chron Obstruct Pulmon Dis. 2016;11:2585-2596. doi:10.2147/COPD.S114034
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Chest cold (acute bronchitis).
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