“Once you start an inhaler, you can never leave it.” This is one of the most common fears among asthma and COPD patients and their families. Because of this belief, many people delay starting inhalers, stop them on their own, or depend on tablets and home remedies instead. In this video, Dr. Dipak Viradia, Chest Physician & Intensivist, clears up this myth.

Inhalers are not addictive. Addiction means a substance creates a craving in the brain and causes withdrawal when stopped. The medicines in asthma inhalers, bronchodilators that open the airways and inhaled steroids that reduce inflammation, do not act on the brain in this way. They do not create a habit or craving.

Why does it feel like you “need” the inhaler? Asthma and COPD are long-term conditions. Just as a diabetic patient needs regular medicine to control sugar, or a blood pressure patient needs daily tablets, a person with asthma needs regular treatment to keep the airways healthy. When the inhaler is stopped, symptoms return because the disease is still present, not because the body is addicted to the inhaler.

Reliever overuse is a warning sign. If you need your reliever (rescue) inhaler more than two or three times a week, it does not mean you are addicted. It means your asthma is not well controlled, and your treatment needs review. Usually, regular controller medicine is needed to reduce inflammation, after which the need for the reliever inhaler drops.

Can inhaler doses be reduced? Yes. When asthma remains well controlled for a period of time, the doctor can gradually reduce the dose, and in some patients the inhaler may be needed only during certain seasons or flare-ups. This should always be done under medical supervision, never by stopping suddenly on your own.

The real risk is avoiding inhalers. Untreated asthma can lead to frequent attacks, emergency visits, long-term damage to the airways and, in severe cases, life-threatening breathing problems. Inhalers, used correctly, help patients live a normal, active life.

Dr. Dipak Viradia
Chest Physician & Intensivist | Interventional Pulmonologist & ECMO Specialist
Rudrax Chest Clinic, 301, Solaris Royce, Opp. Old RTO, Athwagate, Ring Road, Surat – 395001
Appointment: +91 75676 19985
Website: www.drdipakviradia.com