Emphysema And Inhalers

Question:
What are those inhalers people use with asthma and emphysema.

Answer:
Metered dose inhalers are the "puffers" you see people with asthma and emphysema use. They are powdered medicines that are in little chambers of compressed gas. When you squeeze it the chamber is opened and a valve "meters" out the correct dose of medicine. They are relatively cheap, portable, and require no additional equipment or set up other then possibly a spacer device. In addition there are other inhalers they might be using to quit smoking for which they can use. Nicotine inhalers, which are not currently available, would deliver doses of nicotine deep into the lungs similar to cigarettes. Researchers expect these inhalers to have the same drug effect as cigarettes and to be just as addictive. But they also predict that inhalers would be safer than cigarettes because they would lack the chemicals in smoke that are most responsible for smoking-related deaths from cancer, emphysema and heart disease. Inhalers also would eliminate the problem of second-hand smoke.