What Is Levalbuterol Used For? -- An Overview
Levalbuterol hydrochloride (
Xopenex®) is a prescription medication used to treat
asthma and other similar lung problems. It is part of a class of asthma drugs known as beta-adrenergic receptor agonists, or beta agonists for short. The medication is used in a nebulizer, a device that changes liquid medications into fine droplets that are inhaled into the lungs. It also comes in an inhaler
(see Xopenex HFA).
Levalbuterol Uses for Bronchospasms Due to Asthma or COPD
Asthma is a chronic disease that affects your airways, which are the tubes that carry air into and out of your lungs. When you have asthma, the inside walls of your airways become inflamed (swollen). The inflammation makes the airways very sensitive, and they tend to react strongly to things that you are allergic to or find irritating. When the airways react, they narrow and reduce the airflow to your lungs. This is called a bronchospasm and causes
asthma symptoms, such as:
- Wheezing (a whistling sound when you breathe)
- Coughing
- Tightness in the chest
- Trouble breathing.
While there is no asthma cure, the condition can be controlled. There are many different
asthma treatments, and levalbuterol represents one of the most basic and most important types of
treatment for asthma relief. It is approved to both treat and prevent
asthma attacks, but because levalbuterol is short-acting, it is not necessarily the best
asthma medication for preventing asthma attacks.
