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[00:00.69] So how do they work? When you take a breath, air travels through your lungs using tubes called airways, or bronchi.

[00:08.39] The airways funnel to sacs, called alveoli, where your red blood cells absorb all the oxygen your body needs.

[00:15.03] But if you have asthma, the muscles around your airways may tighten, the lining of your airways may get inflamed, and your lungs may make too much of the mucus they use to trap dust and germs.

[00:25.66] Essentially, this clogs the pipes and makes it difficult to exhale.

[00:29.64] Rescue inhalers deliver a medication called a bronchodilator that quickly relaxes these muscles, making it easier to breathe.

[00:37.34] These bronchodilators are short acting, lasting around four hours.

[00:41.86] Rescue inhalers can be used for COPD, too.

[00:44.52] COPD is a catch-all term to describe the most common breathing conditions, like emphysema and chronic bronchitis, which people often have at the same time.

[00:53.55] In emphysema, repeated exposure to smoke or irritating particles breaks the inner walls of the alveoli.

[01:00.46] Because there's less surface area for blood and oxygen to interact, less oxygen makes its way to your bloodstream, causing you to constantly feel out of breath.