[thedoc (OP)]

Abigail MacMillan asked the Naked Scientists:
   Hi I am Abigail I would like to know if it was possible if I could make flavor air for asthma inhalers. I have a what is called exercise induced asthma and I hate the taste of my inhaler so I thought about , what I think is a great idea, to make a flavored inhaler but my best friend told me it was impossible so I am contacting you to find this out
What do you think?

[chiralSPO]

It is certainly possible.

e-cigs and vaporizers have become extremely popular recently, and most of these products have sweeteners and other flavors/aromas.

However, I do not know if it would be practical/desireable. We still do not know the long-term consequences of inhaling concentrated flavorants, but I suspect that many are pretty bad for you (for instance diacetyl, which is the compound responsible for the smell of butter, and is known to do terrible things to lungs, see "popcorn lung" https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bronchiolitis_obliterans [Links inactive - To make links active and clickable, login or click here to register] or cinnamaldehyde, which is responsible for the smell of cinnamon, and is a powerful irritant and suspected carcinogen). Also, many aromas (perfumes) are known to induce asthma attacks in people who are sensitive. So all-in-all probably not the best idea for people who are already at risk of reduced lung function.

Ultimately, even if the medicine tastes bad, I would imagine that it is well worth it to breath easily...