What should you know about inhalers for cough?

A cough can come from a common cold, acute bronchitis, allergies, acid reflux, asthma, or a longer-term airway problem. A reliever inhaler can relax tightened airway muscles when wheezing or chest tightness accompanies the cough. A preventer inhaler works differently: it reduces airway inflammation over time and is used regularly when prescribed. Neither type should be borrowed from another person. A cough without airway narrowing may not improve with an inhaler, and an inhaler can cause effects such as a fast heartbeat, shakiness, or throat irritation.

Arrange a clinical assessment if the cough is persistent, keeps returning, disturbs sleep, or comes with wheezing, breathlessness, or chest tightness. Note when it began, possible triggers, mucus, fever, smoking or vaping exposure, and any medicines already tried. Use an inhaler exactly as prescribed, with the recommended technique and spacer if supplied. Do not increase puffs or frequency because the cough continues. A clinician may listen to your chest and decide whether testing or treatment for asthma or another cause is needed. Read about [Asthma](/conditions/asthma/) and [Chronic Cough](/conditions/chronic-cough/) for related information.

Seek urgent medical help for severe or rapidly worsening breathing difficulty, blue or grey lips, confusion, fainting, coughing blood, or chest pain. Prompt assessment is also sensible when a child is struggling to breathe, a person has a high fever with marked illness, or the cough follows choking. If a prescribed reliever is not helping as directed, do not keep repeating doses beyond the plan; seek urgent advice.

Could my cough be coming from asthma, reflux, allergy, infection, or another airway condition? Do I need a reliever, a preventer, a spacer, or no inhaler? How should I use and clean the device, and what symptoms mean I should seek urgent help?