Advair
® (
fluticasone and salmeterol) is a medicine for
COPD (
chronic obstructive pulmonary disease) and
asthma. This prescription medication is approved for treating airway spasms in people who have COPD and for preventing airway spasms in people who have asthma. The medication comes in two forms: the
Advair Diskus® inhaler and the Advair
® HFA inhaler. The Advair Diskus is approved for both COPD and asthma, while the Advair HFA inhaler is only approved for asthma.
Advair contains two different medications -- fluticasone and
salmeterol. Salmeterol is a type of beta-adrenergic receptor agonist, or beta agonist for short. This medication causes the muscles to relax, which opens up the airways and allows more air to get into and through the lungs.
The other component is fluticasone, an
asthma medication that is a type of inhaled corticosteroid, or steroid for short. Inhaled steroids go directly into the lungs and help to decrease the inflammation of airways that makes
asthma attacks more likely.
When using Advair medicine for COPD treatment in clinical studies, people taking the drug showed improved lung function, compared to those not taking it.
(Click Advair for a more in-depth look at using Advair medicine for COPD treatment, including information on how this medication works, potential side effects, general dosing guidelines, and what to tell your healthcare provider before using this medication.)
