Bronchodilator

A drug that relaxes airway smooth muscle, widening the bronchi and easing airflow. Bronchodilators include fast-acting relievers and longer-acting medicines used to control respiratory disease.

Beta-2 adrenergic receptor agonist: A medicine that activates beta-2 adrenergic receptors, relaxing airway smooth muscle. This major bronchodilator class raises cyclic AMP through beta-2 receptors.
Asthma: A chronic airway disease marked by variable respiratory symptoms and variable expiratory airflow limitation. Bronchodilators relieve reversible airflow narrowing in asthma, alongside anti-inflammatory treatment.
Bronchus: A major airway branch that carries air between the trachea and the lungs. Bronchodilation widens these airways and their smaller branches.
Inhaled corticosteroid: An inhaled anti-inflammatory medicine used to reduce airway inflammation in diseases such as asthma. It treats inflammation rather than directly relaxing airway smooth muscle.
Muscarinic antagonist: A medicine that blocks muscarinic acetylcholine receptors. Blocking airway M3 receptors reduces the bronchoconstricting effect of acetylcholine.
Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease: A lung disease causing persistent respiratory symptoms and airflow obstruction. Long-acting bronchodilators are central to symptom control in this disease.
Bronchiole: A small airway branch in the lungs that lacks cartilage in its walls. Changes in bronchiole caliber strongly affect airflow resistance.
Leukotriene receptor antagonist: A medicine that blocks leukotriene receptors involved in airway inflammation and constriction. It can reduce asthma symptoms but is not a direct smooth-muscle bronchodilator.
Methylxanthine: A class of drugs including theophylline, with bronchodilator effects partly linked to phosphodiesterase inhibition. Theophylline widens airways through mechanisms distinct from beta-2 stimulation and muscarinic blockade.
Short-acting beta agonist: A beta-2 agonist with a rapid, relatively brief bronchodilator effect. This class is used for prompt relief of acute asthma symptoms.

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