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Overview
Albuterol is a bronchodilator commonly prescribed to treat breathing difficulties due to asthma, bronchitis, and other respiratory disorders. It works by relaxing your airway muscles and improving the airflow.
Albuterol is a generic drug that comes in multiple forms, such as:
- oral tablets
- oral syrup
- aerosol that you inhale through an inhaler
- powder that you inhale through an inhaler
- liquid solution that you inhale through a nebulizer device
Albuterol inhalers also come in brand-name forms, such as Ventolin HFA. Albuterol is a prescription drug, so you will need a prescription from a doctor to get it. It is not available over the counter (OTC).
Should I use albuterol for a cough?
Albuterol may be helpful if you have cough because of the following conditions:
- allergies
- asthma
- bronchitis
- lung infections
- exercise
- smoking
- respiratory conditions like chronic obstructive pulmonary disorder (COPD)
- cold weather
This is because albuterol helps reduce coughing that occurs due to bronchospasm. Bronchospasm occurs when your muscles tighten around the airways. Albuterol works by relaxing these airway muscles and improving the airflow.
Will albuterol help treat a cough from a cold?
If you have a cough from a cold, doctors generally do not recommend albuterol. A cough from the common cold is usually a result of mucus buildup, and albuterol does not treat this.
For mucus buildup or chest congestion, other treatments like expectorants may be more effective.
Does albuterol help treat a cough from COVID-19?
If your cough is due to COVID-19, your doctor may use albuterol in some cases.
COVID-19 infections can cause symptoms similar to asthma, such as tightening of the airways and wheezing. Albuterol can help with breathing problems like wheezing and tight airways, so people with COVID-19 may sometimes use it. But it doesn’t treat the viral infection or reduce the inflammation it causes. Albuterol is not approved for use in COVID-19. More extensive research will help determine its effectiveness before doctors recommend it for treatment.
Will albuterol help treat a cough from pneumonia?
Doctors may sometimes prescribe albuterol to help with coughing from pneumonia, but it doesn’t treat the infection.
Pneumonia is a serious lung infection that may cause a mucus buildup in the lungs. This makes breathing difficult. Albuterol may help improve your breathing by relaxing the muscles around your airways, which could help you clear out mucus, but it won’t help prevent coughing.
According to an older study, if you have pneumonia severe enough that you need to go to the hospital for treatment, a healthcare professional may prescribe albuterol. However, when they use it to treat pneumonia, they typically give albuterol through a nebulizer rather than an inhaler. The nebulizer turns a liquid albuterol solution into a mist that you inhale.
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Get free cardDoes albuterol break up congestion?
While albuterol does not break up congestion and help remove the phlegm, it does work to relax the airways, which could make it easier to cough up mucus and phlegm.
Albuterol belongs to a group of medications called beta-2 agonists, which work by stimulating receptors in the muscles that line your airways. This causes these muscles to relax, which allows the airways to widen, making it easier for you to breathe.
So, albuterol will most likely make it easier for you to cough and shift the mucus in your airways. However, it does not break up the congestion or the mucus.
If you’re looking for a medication to break up mucus, your doctor may recommend an expectorant. These are medications that thin mucus, which means you may be able to expel more of it when you cough. Guaifenesin (Mucinex) is a commonly used expectorant and is available over the counter without a prescription.
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Summary
A healthcare professional prescribes albuterol to treat bronchospasm, and it works by relaxing airway muscles to improve airflow. Albuterol does not treat the infections that cause conditions like the common cold, COVID-19, pneumonia, or bronchitis, nor does it break up congestion or stop you from coughing. But in certain cases, it can still be helpful.
If you have a cough due to tightening of your airways, albuterol may be helpful. It may also help you cough out phlegm by allowing the airways to widen.
Talk with your doctor if you have a cough or congestion that won’t go away. They will recommend the best treatment for you.