Your Child May Have Misused an Asthma Inhaler
Using an asthma inhaler correctly is a complex, multi-step process. If you don’t do it right , you may not be able to reap the full benefits of your medications, which can make your asthma worse or give the impression that medications are not working.
Unfortunately, according to Dr. Perry Klass for The New York Times , new research shows that many patients are taking their asthma medications incorrectly. In particular, both children and adults do not wait for the right full minute between puffs.
How to use an asthma inhaler correctly
1. Remove the cap and shake the inhaler for three to five seconds. Connect the inhaler to the spacer. The spacer is a chamber between the inhaler and the patient’s mouth, which contains a suspension of the drug and facilitates its inhalation. Dr. Francine M. Ducharm, professor of pediatrics, social and preventive medicine at the University of Montreal, told A Time when both children and adults should use a spacer “to make sure the medicine is properly inhaled into the lungs and not deposited in the mouth.”
2. Exhale fully and correctly place the mouthpiece or mask around your mouth, forming a snug fit.
3. Release the medication from the inhaler by pressing on the can and inhale slowly and deeply through the pad. (If your spacer has a whistle function, you do not want to hear the whistle; the whistle means you are breathing in too quickly.) Hold your breath for 10 seconds and exhale again.
4. Wait one minute before repeating the process.
5. Rinse your mouth or brush your teeth after each use.
Even if you have taught your child the correct inhalation method – and even if you think he knows the technique – you should continue to observe him whenever possible to make sure he is not making any contractions.