Hernial malfunctions — breather required (7)

I believe the answer is:

inhaler

I'm a little stuck... Click here to teach me more about this clue!

'breather required' is the definition.
I can't tell whether this defines the answer.

'hernial malfunctions' is the wordplay.
'malfunctions' indicates anagramming the letters (I've seen 'malfunctioning' mean this).
'hernial' with letters rearranged gives 'INHALER'.

Can you help me to learn more?

(Other definitions for inhaler that I've seen before include "Asthmatic's device" , "Medical device" , "Uninhibited smoker" , "Dispenser of vapour for the nose or lungs" , "Breather" .)

I've seen this clue in The Times.

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