Inhalation

Inhalation is the movement of air or airborne substances into the respiratory tract during breathing. It can occur naturally or through devices that deliver medicines or other substances.

Pulmonary ventilation: The bulk movement of air into and out of the lungs. Inhalation is the inward phase of this larger breathing process.
Inhaled drug: A medicine administered into the respiratory tract as a gas, vapor, or aerosol. This is a therapeutic use of inhalation.
Pulmonary drug delivery: The administration of medicines to the lungs, commonly by inhalation. It describes the broader delivery strategy that inhaled medicines use.
Exhalation: The movement of air out of the lungs during breathing. It is the outward phase that alternates with inhalation.
Diaphragm: A dome-shaped muscle separating the chest cavity from the abdomen that drives quiet breathing. Its contraction enlarges the chest cavity and draws air inward.
Metered-dose inhaler: A pressurized device that releases a measured aerosol dose for inhalation. It coordinates a medicine spray with breathing in.
Aerosol: A suspension of fine solid particles or liquid droplets in a gas. Inhaled aerosols can deposit substances along the respiratory tract.
Ingestion: The act of taking substances into the digestive tract through the mouth. It introduces substances through swallowing rather than breathing.
Thoracic cavity: The chest space enclosed by the ribs, sternum, spine, and diaphragm. Changes in its volume create the pressure gradient that draws air into the lungs.
Dry-powder inhaler: A device that disperses powdered medicine for inhalation using the patient's inspiratory effort. Unlike a pressurized inhaler, it relies on inhaled airflow to disperse the dose.

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