For people with asthma, inhalers are literally a lifeline. But not everyone knows how to use them.
Inhalers are often used for asthma, a condition in which the lungs have difficulty absorbing and pumping enough air into the body. According to the Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America (AAFA), asthma affects 8% of Americans and causes 9 to 11 deaths each day.
“We also know that 60% to well over 80% of patients don’t know how to use their inhalers correctly,” says Dr. Y. Michael Sim, chief of respiratory and critical care medicine at Weill Cornell Medicine in New York.
Learn how to use your inhaler properly to help keep your asthma and other symptoms under control.
Steps to use the inhaler
“The biggest challenge is that there are more than 30 inhalers in different shapes on the market, each requiring different technology,” says Shim. First and foremost, follow your doctor’s instructions and the exact type of medication.
But in general, some guidelines can help most people use inhalers.
Sim said everyone should use spacers, not just children. This is an attachment that attaches to the end of your inhaler and helps get more of your medication into your lungs.
Next, exhale to the end, then inhale slowly and press the inhale button. Hold your breath at the end to make sure the medication is fully distributed to your lungs, Nationwide Children’s Hospital advises in a demo video.
Then, exhale slowly. Follow the instructions on your inhaler regarding how many puffs to take. Some doctors recommend rinsing your mouth after use by gargling and rinsing your mouth with water.
This will help prevent unnecessary side effects and protect your oral health.
“Usually, poor technique can cause inhaled drugs to build up in the mouth and on the vocal cords, which can lead to thrush (a fungal infection in the mouth), inflammation of the vocal cords, and hoarseness,” Sim said, adding, “If the patient tastes the drug in the mouth, it’s clear that the technique needs to be reviewed directly.”
Know the types of inhalers
Some people may need more than one type of inhaler.
“Rescue inhalers should only be used when additional medication is needed,” Sim says. “We usually hope that patients don’t need these rescue inhalers, because maintenance drugs require good asthma control at baseline. Maintenance inhalers are either long-acting airway dilators or anti-inflammatory drugs, such as steroids, that patients need to take daily.”
Sim noted that the current approach has changed a bit in recent years, allowing “some maintenance drugs to be used as needed on an on-demand schedule rather than on a fixed schedule.”
Consult your primary care physician or pulmonologist for specific recommendations.
