bronchodilator

[brong-koh-dahy-ley-ter, -di-]

noun

1. a substance that acts to dilate constricted bronchial tubes to aid breathing, used especially for relief of asthma.

bronchodilator

/ ˈbrɒŋkəʊdaɪˌleɪtə /

noun

1. any drug or other agent that causes dilation of the bronchial tubes by relaxing bronchial muscle: used, esp in the form of aerosol sprays, for the relief of asthma

bronchodilator

1. A drug that widens the air passages of the lungs and eases breathing by relaxing bronchial smooth muscle.

Word History and Origins

Origin of bronchodilator¹

First recorded in 1900–05; broncho- + dilator

Example Sentences

Cough syrups broadly fall into two types - sedatives that help the child rest, and bronchodilators that ease breathing - and doctors usually prescribe one or the other, not a mix.

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If a patient improves their exhalation after the bronchodilator, “then it’s asthma,” she says.

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One of those initiatives was a zero-tolerance policy on clenbuterol, a bronchodilator sometimes given to increase muscle mass instead of treating respiratory disease as intended.

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Longer-acting and more-effective bronchodilators to relax and widen the airways emerged, as did a greater variety of corticosteroids to control inflammation in the lungs.

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Inhaled steroids are commonly prescribed in combination with drugs known as bronchodilators.

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