Originally Posted by
rpenmanparker
The steroids used in the daily low does inhalers and Albuterol are very similar. The difference seems to be that the former category is good for a continual effect while the Albuterol works better for short term requirements in individual situations. The mechanisms of action must be pretty similar though.
Actually, if anyone's interested, the mechanisms are quite different. The smooth muscle in the walls of the small airways relaxes in response to beta2 adrenergic agonists, such as albuterol (which is not a steroid). This happens through fast, nerve-like, signaling. Steroids, by contrast, reduce the chronic inflammatory state in the airway walls, which makes them prone to spasm in asthma. This is a slow, long-lasting process.