Definition: Inhaler

Inhaler

Inhalers are portable handheld devices that deliver medication - in a form that the person breathes in - directly to the lungs, unlike a pill or liquid that's swallowed. There are two kinds of inhalers: metered dose inhalers (MDIs), also known as puffers, which deliver the medicine in a mist or spray form, and dry powder inhalers (DPIs), which deliver the medicine in a fine powder form.