Staying well
To keep your asthma under control, it’s important to take your medication regularly and use your inhaler properly.
Relievers (rescuers) vs. preventers
Asthma inhalers can be relievers (rescuers), or preventers.
Relievers
Relievers
Relievers (rescuers) usually take 5 to 10 minutes to work, relaxing the muscles inside your airways so that you can breathe easier.
Preventers
Preventers
Preventers need to be taken every day in order to work. They keep the airways open and any swelling in the airways down, so you can breathe well and not need to use your reliever (rescuer) too often.
There are a few different types of inhaler and they work in different ways. Find your inhaler below and watch the video to check your inhaler technique is spot on.
Pressurised metered dose inhaler (aka the squirty one)
Pressurised metered dose inhalers (pMDI) usually look like this and come in different colours, depending on the medication.
UK common names
UK common names
Airomir, Ventolin, AirSalb, Salamol, Ventolin, Atimos Modulite, Neovent MDI, Serevent, Atrovent MDI, Clenil Modulite MDI, Flixotide Evohaler, Qvar MDI, Fostair MDI, Flutiform MDI, Seretide Evohaler, Sirdupla MDI, Symbicort MDI
US common names
US common names
ProAir HFA, Proventil HFA, Ventolin HFA, Xopenex HFA, Alvesco HFA, Asmanex HFA, Flovent HFA, Advair HFA, Dulera, Bevespi Aerosphere, Atrovent HFA, Symbicort
Don’t forget to rinse your mouth out after using your inhaler if it has steroid medication in it. This will make sure you don’t have any side effects from the inhaler.
Pressurised metered dose inhaler
Breath actuated inhaler (the automated squirty one)
Breath actuated inhalers (BAI) usually look like this. The medication squirts out automatically as you breathe in, without you needing to press a button for the squirt to be released.
UK common names
UK common names
Salamol Easi-Breathe, Airomir Autohaler, Qvar Easi-Breathe, Qvar Autohaler
US common names
US common names
Qvar Redihaler
Breath actuated inhaler
Dry powder inhaler (the powder one)
Dry powder inhalers (DPI) come in different shapes and have powdered medication inside.
UK common names
UK common names
Easyhaler salbutamol, Ventolin Accuhaler, Bricanyl Turbohaler, Easyhaler formoterol, Onbrez Breezhaler, Oxis Turbohaler, Serevent Accuhaler, Spiriva HandiHaler, Eklira Genuair, Incruse Ellipta, Seebri Breezhaler, Easyhaler beclometasone, Budelin Novolizer, Easyhaler budesonide, Flixotide Accuhaler, Pulmicort Turbohaler, Duaklir Genuair, Anoro Ellipta, Fostair NEXThaler, Duoresp Spriomax, Symbicort Turbohaler, AirFluSal Forspiro, Relvar Ellipta, Seretide Accuhaler
US common names
US common names
ProAir RespiClick, Arcapta Neohaler, Serevent Diskus, ArmonAir Respiclick, Arnuity Ellipta, Asmanex Twisthaler, Flovent Diskus, Pulmicort Flexhaler, Advair Diskus, AirDuo RespiClick, Breo Ellipta, Wixela Inhub, Anoro Ellipta, Utibron Neohaler, Trelegy Ellipta, Incruse Ellipta, Seebri Neohaler, Spiriva HandiHaler, Tudorza pressair
Don’t forget to rinse your mouth out after using your inhaler if it has steroid medication in it. This will make sure you don’t have any side effects from the inhaler.
Dry powder inhaler
