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Inhaler And Nebulizer
Learn How These
Devices Help You To Reduce Asthma Symptoms
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Metered Dose Inhaler,
often known as inhaler or puffer, is the most common device to
deliver asthma medication directly into the airways or the
lungs. It is called metered dose, as inhaler
consistently delivers a
certain dose of drugs in every spray which is inhaled by the
patient. Every asthma patient can use metered dose inhaler
easily, even for children.
How does inhaler work ?
Metered dose inhaler is containing
of asthma drugs and a pressurized liquid (usually CFC) that is
commonly called propellant. The propellant will break the drugs
into soft sprinkles and turn into gas (aerosol) when released
through the mouthpiece, and then pushed into the patient’s
airways. |
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How to use metered dose inhaler ?
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Release the cap from mouthpiece, and
shake the inhaler.
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Hold it with your thumb on the lower
part of the actuator and your middle and fore finger gets ready on
the top of canister.
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Exhale.
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Put the mouthpiece in your mouth, and
raise your head a little to the back.
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At the same time start to inhale and
push down the canister to release one spray.
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Keep inhaling until your lungs feel
full.
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Then hold your breath for 10 seconds
or as long as you can, to give time for the sprinkled drugs to enter
your airways.
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If the inhaler medication is
prescribed for 2 sprays, wait for one minute before repeating the
procedure.
Spacer
Children might get some difficulties to
use metered dose inhaler. That is why a device called spacer is created
to help children in their asthma medication. Spacer is an additional
device (a plastic chamber with a hole) that provides space between the
metered dose inhaler and the children’s mouth. You can found spacer in
tubes or plastic bag shapes. One of the edges connects to the inhaler,
as the other one connects to the sucker.
Spacer can optimize drugs quantity that
can go into patient’s lungs, and help preventing drugs sprinkles to
stick around patient’s mouth or throat, which can cause coughing or
fungus. If patient uses inhaler alone, the drug comes out at about 110
km/hour, 80 to 90% of it hits the back of the throat, and then goes to
stomach, instead of the lungs. Using a spacer would significantly
increase the amount of drugs to reach the lungs.
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Dry Powder Inhaler
What differs dry powder (or turbuhaler)
and metered dose inhaler, is propellant, which dry powder inhaler does
not use. The patient should have a quick and deep inhale in order to
breath the drugs to his lungs. That is why, children under 7 years old
cannot use this device. In a severe asthma attack, the use of dry powder
inhaler is not possible either, as patient who have lack of oxygen
cannot inhale the drugs effectively.
How to use dry powder inhaler ?
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Open the cap.
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Hold the turbuhaler with mouthpiece
upside to fill the drug.
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To use it, you must cock the
turbuhaler, by twisting the holder as far as possible to the right,
and then twisting to the left until clicking.
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Repeat the procedure when you re-fill
the drugs.
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Exhale.
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Put the mouthpiece on your mouth and
close your lips around it. Make sure the turbuhaler position is
horizontal.
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Strongly inhale while sucking the drug
from the turbuhaler, quickly and deeply, until you feel your lungs
are filled with air.
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Hold your breath for 5-10 seconds,
then exhale.
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Close the cap until it locked.
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Always gargle with water after using
dry powder inhaler.
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Learn how
children often misuse inhaler for asthma!
Nebulizer
 Nebulizer is an electronic
device that change asthma drugs in liquids into a mist, which would be
inhaled by the patient for about 15-20 minutes.
Although very simple to use (as the
patient just need to sit down, hold the tube, and simply breath as usual
to inhale the drugs), nebulizer is not effective for asthma medication.
It needs more dose of drugs (2,5 mg, while using inhaler is only 0,09
mg). Nebulizer is also not handy because of its shape, and because it
needs electricity.
I use nebulizer occasionally when I have
asthma symptoms, like over-produced mucus. Inhaling nebulizer can help
me in releasing my stuffy nose.
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