What medications are used to treat chronic bronchitis/COPD?

What medications are used to treat chronic bronchitis/COPD?

Drug classes that may be used to treat chronic bronchitis/COPD include:

• Antibiotics to treat worsening coughs, breathlessness, and mucus production caused by infections.
• Anti-inflammatory drugs, such as corticosteroids (also called steroids), to reduce swelling and mucus output. Steroids can have many different types of side effects, including swelling in feet and hands, mood changes, increased appetite and weight gain, trouble sleeping, and more serious ones such as diabetes, higher risk of infections, osteoporosis, and cataracts.
• Bronchodilators to keep muscles around the airways relaxed so that airways stay open. There are long-acting and short-acting bronchodilators. Short-acting products are often called rescue drugs because they act quickly, but wear off in a couple of hours.
• Combination drugs that contain a mix of steroids and long- or short-acting bronchodilators