Medications

💡TL;DR: Albuterol opens airways within minutes; common side effects like tremor, jitters, a faster heartbeat, and throat irritation are usually mild and short-lived. Most side effects fade within 2 to 6 hours, while breathing relief lasts about 4 to 6 hours. Nebulizer treatments can deliver a higher total dose

💡TL;DR: OTC asthma products can provide brief relief for mild, occasional symptoms when you cannot access a prescription, but they are not substitutes for a rescue inhaler or daily controller therapy. Typical prices: Primatene Mist (epinephrine) inhaler about $30–60, racepinephrine nebulizer vials about $15–40 per box, and

💡TL;DR: Hypertonic saline, dornase alfa (Pulmozyme), and inhaled mannitol thin CF mucus so you can clear it. Saline is widely used and relatively low cost, Pulmozyme has strong evidence but higher cost and device requirements, and mannitol is for adults only after a clinic tolerance test. In a 48-week

💡TL;DR: LABA and LAMA inhalers are long-acting, daily controller medicines for COPD; many people do best on both together. Step up to a LABA/LAMA combo if one long-acting inhaler is not enough; add an inhaled steroid only for frequent flares or high eosinophils (>= 300 cells per microliter)

💡TL;DR: Mucomyst is acetylcysteine, a prescription mucolytic you inhale with a nebulizer to thin stubborn lung mucus in conditions like cystic fibrosis, COPD, and bronchiectasis. Most people use 10% or 20% solution in short sessions that last about 10–15 minutes, typically 3–4 times per day as directed.

💡TL;DR: Ipratropium bromide plus albuterol sulfate opens tight airways quickly for COPD and severe asthma flares. Most side effects are mild and short-lived (shaky hands, dry mouth, brief fast heartbeat), while serious symptoms are uncommon; seek care immediately for chest pain, swelling, or worse breathing right after a dose

💡TL;DR: Most babies, children, and adults with RSV get better with supportive care alone and never need an antiviral drug. Ribavirin is an older antiviral that is reserved for rare, very high-risk cases, such as some hospitalized infants and severely immunocompromised adults. Because it is expensive, difficult to administer,

💡TL;DR: Medications do not cure BPD; they help babies breathe and grow while the lungs heal. Care often combines oxygen/respiratory support with diuretics, bronchodilators, cautious short courses of corticosteroids in select severe cases, and caffeine citrate to reduce apnea. Diuretics and bronchodilators can improve short‑term breathing but

💡TL;DR: Most people feel better within a few days of starting blood thinners, but full recovery typically takes weeks to a few months and can take 6–12 months after severe events. Expect to take anticoagulants for at least 3 months; they prevent new clots while your body slowly