What Is Pirbuterol Used For? -- An Introduction
Pirbuterol acetate (
Maxair®) 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.
Pirbuterol for Bronchospasm in 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. If you have asthma, the inside walls of your airways are 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 less air flows to your lungs. This is called bronchospasm. It causes
asthma symptoms like wheezing (a whistling sound when you breathe), coughing, tightness in the chest, and trouble breathing.
While there is no asthma cure, asthma can be controlled. There are many different
asthma treatments, and pirbuterol represents one of the most basic and most important types of
treatment for asthma relief. Pirbuterol is a "rescue" asthma inhaler, which can help improve breathing very quickly. Even if you take asthma controller medications, it is important to always have a rescue
asthma medication available to relieve an attack.
Pirbuterol is approved to both treat and prevent asthma attacks. Because pirbuterol is short-acting, it is not necessarily the best asthma medication for preventing asthma attacks in general. However, it is an excellent medication for treating asthma attacks.
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