Inhalers deliver medicine straight to the airways, which is why they work quickly at low doses. They fall into two broad jobs. Relievers (short-acting bronchodilators) open the airways within minutes during an attack. Preventers — inhaled corticosteroids, long-acting bronchodilators, and the combination inhalers that pair them — are taken every day to reduce the underlying inflammation and keep the airways open. Most modern asthma and COPD treatment is about getting the preventer right.
Class descriptions are written by the Priya Life Science editorial team. Individual drug pages combine that summary with live label, approval, manufacturer and shortage data from the U.S. FDA via the openFDA API. This page is general information and is not medical advice — it is not exhaustive, drugs within a class are not automatically interchangeable, and approvals and brand names differ between the US, EU/Ireland (EMA/HPRA) and other regions. Always consult the official prescribing information and your clinician or pharmacist. Related: Drug Shortages Tracker · FDA Approvals · All drug comparisons