Ventolin® | Ventolin Inhaler (Albuterol / Salbutamol) - 100mcg (200 Doses)
| Main Use |
Active Integredient |
Marketed Name |
| Asthma |
Salbutamol / Albuterol |
Ventolin® |
How does Ventolin Inhaler (Salbutamol) work?
Ventolin accuhaler, evohaler, nebules, respirator solution, syrup and injection all contain the active ingredient salbutamol, which is a type of medicine known as a short-acting beta 2 agonist.
Salbutamol works by acting on receptors in the lungs called beta 2 receptors. When salbutamol stimulates these receptors it causes the muscles in the airways to relax. This allows the airways to open.
In conditions where there is narrowing of the airways, such as asthma or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD, eg emphysema and chronic bronchitis), it is difficult for air to get in and out of the lungs. By opening the airways, salbutamol makes it easier to breathe.
Salbutamol is most commonly taken using an inhaler device. Inhaling the medicine allows it to act directly in the lungs where it is needed most. It also reduces the potential for side effects occurring in other parts of the body, as the amount absorbed into the blood through the lungs is lower than if it is taken by mouth.
Salbutamol when used as an inhaler is known as a reliever. This is because it works very quickly to relieve asthma attacks, wheezing, chest tightness or shortness of breath. Salbutamol inhalers can also be used to open the airways shortly before exercising to prevent wheezing.
Salbutamol is sometimes prescribed to be taken by mouth for people who cannot use inhalers very well. It must be taken regularly in this way to help keep the airways open all the time.
Nebuliser or respirator solutions of salbutamol are used to treat acute asthma attacks in hospital. A nebuliser is a machine that converts the liquid medicine inside the nebules, into particles that can be inhaled. It is used to deliver higher doses of the medicine than a standard inhaler.
People with severe asthma or COPD who have been shown to benefit from regular use of high doses of salbutamol are sometimes prescribed nebules to be used in a nebuliser at home.
Salbutamol may also be given by injection in hospital to treat severe asthma attacks.
What is Ventolin Inhaler (Salbutamol) used for?
- Asthma
- Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD)
Ventolin Inhaler (Salbutamol) Side Effects
- Shaking, usually of the hands
- Nervous tension
- Headache
- Faster than normal heart beat
- Awareness of your heart beat
- Muscle cramps
- Low blood potassium level
- Unexpected narrowing of the airways
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