Ventolin vs Proair
A great number of Americans suffer from such a disease, as asthma, on the basis of the research held by the American Academy of Allergy, Asthma, and Immunology. The people with asthma usually have their own inhaler and they use it only when there is an important necessity, or several times a day.
There are some inhaling devices that are indicated to reduce asthma reactions. They have a similar effect. But are they similar to each other? This article will focus on albuterol inhalers, such as ProAir and Ventolin.
In fact, when we talk about albuterol and Ventolin, then we are talking about the same drug. Ventolin is the name of the brand, and albuterol is the name of the drug itself. Albuterol is found in several different brands of inhalers. But at its core, it is all the same drug - the bronchodilator albuterol. It helps to reduce hard asthma symptoms and improve breathing. Albuterol helps to prevent symptoms such as cough, wheezing, and breathing problems.
The medicine itself has two synonymous names, albuterol and salbutamol. It is contained in L-shaped inhalers under the following brands: ProAir RespiClick, Proventil HFA, ProAir HFA, and Ventolin HFA.
Thus, it can be said that Ventolin and ProAir are two identical inhalers with the same medicine inside, only under different names.
Comparison Table
| ProAir HFA | Ventolin HFA | |
|---|---|---|
| Manufacturer | Teva Respiratory | GlaxoSmithKline |
| Active ingredient | Albuterol Sulfate | Albuterol Sulfate |
| Inactive ingredients | HFA propellant Alcohol |
HFA propellant |
| Dose Counter | No | Yes |
| Priming Required | Yes | Yes |
| Cleaning Required | Yes | Yes |
These inhalers are intended for the patients with COPD and asthma, which often cause breathing problems, shortness of breath and coughing. The medicine inside the inhaler helps to open the airways and increase the air entering the lungs, which helps to normalize breathing. It is intended to relieve asthma symptoms that have already begun.
Albuterol is sometimes prescribed to patients with severe allergies associated with respiratory disorder, and is also used in a hospital setting to normalize the potassium in the patient's blood.
Usually, if a patient suffers from asthma, then he or she knows what irritants can cause negative symptoms and takes the medicine half an hour before the contact with a possible irritant. In this case, there is a chance of preventing an asthma attack.
Inhalers that come with albuterol help to quickly weaken asthma reactions. The best effect becomes noticeable in 2-3 hours after using the inhaler, and this effect weakens after a few hours. Typically, patients take an inhaler with albuterol several times a day to control or prevent asthma effects.
If you use a Ventolin or ProAir inhaler and you understand that the medication does not work, or makes the symptoms worse, then you should immediately consult a medical specialist. The medication may be not suitable for you and your doctor may prescribe another drug.
Dosage
The medicines quantity depends on the type and structure of the inhaler you are using. Ventolin and ProAir are metered-dose inhalers that give a certain dose of albuterol - 108 mcg at one click on the cartridge.
For the correct dosage, follow your doctor's directions and recommendations. The total dosage is 1-2 clicks (inhalations) with an interval of 4-6 hours. As it was mentioned earlier, many patients use the inhaler shortly before they interact with an irritant or exercise.
When using the inhaler, you must fully follow the doctor's instructions and contact him if you have any symptoms that bother you.
Ventolin and ProAir Side Effects
Common side reactions are sore throat, nervousness, unsteadiness, nausea, dizziness, bad taste in the mouth, muscle pain.
More serious side effects that require medical attention include chest pain, breathing disorder, irregular heartbeat, allergy signs such as itching, swelling, rash, hives.
Store the inhaler in a cool, dry, dark place out of reach of children. Always try to make it filled on time and make sure that it contains the medicine, as you may need it at any moment.
The inhaler Proair contains ethanol within the components of the drug. That may give rise to one more side effect without which the inhalers Proair and Ventolin have similar side effects. Patients may observe the following symptoms using one of these two inhalers: allergies to the components of the medication, labored breathing, vertigo, increased heart rate, increased blood pressure, sickness, vomiting, infections of respiratory tract, edginess, rapid pulse or heartbeat, sniffles, seizing etc.
Rescue Inhalers
All people suffering from asthma experience labored breathing, and it makes them upset and anxious about the state of their health. A lot of drugs were created to help such people to resist such a disease as asthma. But most of the medications can’t stop an asthma attack at once. Just a rescue inhaler can relieve the effects of asthma on the lungs, by means of constriction and obstruction. So the majority of asthmatics possess rescue inhaler and use it each time when they have problems with difficult breathing.
The Inhaler Ventolin HFA
Ventolin is one of the most frequently prescribed inhalers, which help to fight against asthma. The rescue inhaler is produced by a pharmaceutical company GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) and it is considered to be the pride of the company as it is a unique rescue inhaler, because of the function of counting the number of remained inhalations. It is very difficult for a person to calculate the amount of the drug remained in the inhaler, so this function is very useful for the patients. A special counter helps to avoid doubting about the remained medication inside the inhaler, so a patient knows exactly when the inhaler should be filled.
The Inhaler Proair HFA
The inhaler Proair HFA is produced by a pharmaceutical company Teva Respiratory. It is an albuterol sulfate inhaler, which corresponds to all the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) standards. The company Teva Respiratory is one of four companies that have created its own inhaler in the form of HFA. Nowadays there are four HFA inhalers, which are affordable to the consumers. They are Proventil HFA, Xopenex HFA (a kind of albuterol. It usually provokes less side effects), Ventolin HFA and Proair HFA. Though the inhaler Proair HFA is met by insurance, it can be expensive for some people.
The Analogy
In comparison with Proair HFA, the inhaler Ventolin HFA doesn’t have ethanol as a form of cosolvent. Ethanol may cause lungs narrowing within the patients, who suffer from asthma and the ethanol contained in the rescue inhaler makes it not productive. The only inhaler, which doesn’t contain ethanol, is Ventolin HFA, and the inhaler is in a wide demand among the patients. As for Ventolin, it is also fitted with a special counter, which helps to indicate the amount of the drug left in the inhaler. The absence of ethanol and the existence of the indicator of the amount of the drug made Ventolin HFA a highly demanded medication among a great number of people.