Can You Share Asthma Inhalers

Are There Any Side Effects

Reliever inhalers are a safe and essential treatment for asthma symptoms when they suddenly flare up. They have very few side effects.

Some people notice that they feel a bit shaky or their heart beats faster than normal.

Youre more likely to notice these side effects if you have needed to use more puffs than recommended of your reliever inhaler. They’ll usually pass quickly and are not dangerous. See your GP or asthma nurse if youre worried.

The best way to avoid side effects is to have a regular asthma review. This means your GP or asthma nurse can make sure youre doing all you can to prevent asthma symptoms, like taking your preventer inhaler regularly as prescribed.

Your preventer inhaler works away in the background to prevent symptoms from coming on in the first place. If you use it every day, even when youre well, you won’t need to use your reliever inhaler so much.

Keep Your Inhaler Clean

Look at the hole where the medicine sprays out of your inhaler. If you see powder in or around the hole, clean your inhaler.

• Remove the metal canister from the L-shaped plastic mouthpiece.
• Rinse only the mouthpiece and cap in warm water.
• Let them air-dry overnight.
• In the morning, put the canister back inside. Put the cap on.
• DO NOT rinse any other parts.

Risks Of Purchasing Inhalers Online

If you plan to purchase any medication over the internet, its essential to ensure that your online pharmacy is reputable and safe.

Buying inhalers from fake websites can be dangerous.

You may receive expired, contaminated, or counterfeit medications that can put your health at risk. You may also risk financial or personal information falling into the wrong hands.

Always check to make sure that any website you are purchasing from has:

• An address and telephone number in the United States
• A pharmacist available to offer customer service and answer questions
• A license from your state pharmacy board
• And requires a prescription from a licenced prescriber to buy medication

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Vicks Personal Steam Inhaler

The Vicks Personal Steam Inhaler does not contain any medicine or active ingredients. It uses steam and optional menthol Vicks VapoPads to soothe irritated lungs due to asthma, cough, or cold.

The built-in face mask delivers targeted relief directly into your mouth and nose. Moisture and humidity can help open up swollen bronchial passages, and soothe sore tissue in your throat and lungs.

Fill the tank with water, then the self-regulating heater will safely boil the water. Use the adjustable steam control to mix cold air into the steam to your comfort level. Each treatment lasts 5 to 15 minutes, and its safe to use multiple times per day.

Bonus: This also works as a face steamer, which can be helpful for softening skin and using wash-off face masks.

The Less Albuterol The Better

When you cant breathe, you know as well as any other asthmatic that you will do just about anything to get your breathing back to normal. Asthma attacks can be a frightening experience! Being a doctor that specializes in asthma treatment, the frequency of albuterol use is one of the tools used to gauge asthma control less albuterol means better asthma control! We now have so many asthma controllers to choose fromworking together we can find the right program for your particular type of asthma.

That said, if youre experiencing symptoms, its appropriate to address those symptoms with your inhaler. We use the Rule of Two and the Rule of Four not to restrict your inhaler use, but to identify when your asthma could use a little more clinical attention. The goal of that clinical attention is to let you forget about your inhaler for a whileor, at least, not use it so often.

Trust me, your albuterol inhaler wont mind not being your best friend!

If you have questions or concerns about your asthma program, feel free to contact Dr. Bubak at Dakota Allergy and Asthma at .

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Improper Inhaler Use Can Affect Asthma Control

Taking your asthma medicine regularly is an important part of controlling your asthma. But did you know how you take your medicine is just as important? Incorrect inhaler or nebulizer technique can keep your asthma medicines from getting to your lungs.

Inhaler mistakes are more common than you might think. Up to 92% of people with asthma use their device incorrectly.1 If your medicine isnt reaching your lungs, your asthma might be harder to control.

Even if youve been using an inhaler for many years, its always a good idea to review your inhaler technique from time to time. This can help you avoid small mistakes. This is also especially important when you start taking a new type or brand of inhaler.

Reliever Inhaler Top Tips

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How Does A Nebulizer Work

A nebulizer is an electric or battery-powered machine. It usually has four parts:

Medicine is put into the cup, which is attached to the motor via tubing. The mouthpiece or facemask is then attached to the cup. When the machine is turned on, it sends a mist into the mask. The child can breathe in this mist.

Kids don’t have to “do” anything to receive the medicine except stay still and breathe in. It usually takes about 5 or 10 minutes to breathe in all the medicine. A child who doesn’t stay still and cooperate, or who cries, may not get all the medicine needed. During treatment, it’s important to help your child be as still and calm as possible.

Q: Is There An Alternative To Sharing Inhalers

Dr. Stukus: I believe stock albuterol legislation should be mandatory in every state. Stock albuterolis similar to stock epinephrine for anaphylaxis. Its designed to allow schools to administer albuterol without a prescription to any student with known asthma who requires treatment, but does not have their own prescription inhaler available.

Some states and school districts have already adopted stock albuterol. It is safe, can decrease unnecessary calls to 911, and the right thing to do.

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Sharing Is Caring But Should You Share An Inhaler

Is it appropriate for asthma patients to share inhalers? It happened recently when two Texas middle school students shared a quick-relief albuterol inhaler. The students had also unknowingly violated a school policy that prohibited sharing prescription medications such as inhalers and both were suspended from school.

David Stukus, MD, a pediatric allergist and immunologist at Nationwide Childrens Hospital in Columbus, Ohio, and Sally Schoessler, RN, Director of Education for Allergy & Asthma Network and a former school nurse, recently weighed in on the topic in this Q& A:

How Can I Get An Asthma Inhaler Without Going To The Doctor

There are inhalers available at any pharmacy in your area. Over-the-counter and prescription asthma medications are some of these. If you are interested in receiving treatment, you can contact your local pharmacist. It is possible for them to suggest over-the-counter inhalers or to refer you to a medical doctor.

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Asthma Inhaler Abuse Associated With Other Drug Use In Teens

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ANN ARBORYoung people who misuse asthma inhalers are seven times more likely to use illegal drugs and nearly three times more likely to use alcohol than their peers.

In a study of 5th through 10th graders in an ethnically diverse public school district in metro Detroit, University of Michigan researchers found that using an asthma inhaler in any way other than how its prescribedsharing it with friends or family, using it to increase alertness or get high, for exampleis strongly correlated with other substance use.

If kids think its OK to pass around asthma inhalers, that may be a precursor to other kinds of substance use behaviors, said Carol Boyd, lead author on a paper due out in Addictive Behaviors in November and a research scientist at U-Ms Substance Abuse Research Center.

Asthma inhaler abuse appears to be a proxy for other drug use among younger adolescents even if they arent using the inhaler to get high. It is possible that these teens have a comfort level with breaking the rules and using other peoples drugs.

Boyd and co-authors Sean Esteban McCabe and Christian Teter found:

Asthma inhaler abuse spikes in 8th grade. While just 6 percent of 5th and 6th grade study participants reported having ever misused an inhaler, 9 percent of 7th graders said they had and 15 percent of 8th graders reported misuse.

Inhaler abuse is correlated with smoking cigarettes, drinking alcohol, binge drinking and using illicit drugs.

What Is A Reliever Inhaler

Everyone with asthma needs a reliever inhaler for quick relief when their symptoms come on.

Your reliever inhaler works quickly to relax the muscles in your airways so you can breathe more easily.

If you have an asthma attack, your reliever inhaler can be a life saver.

Keep your reliever inhaler with you at all times, so you can use it as soon as you notice any symptoms.

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Can You Buy An Inhaler From The Chemist

The cost of two inhalers will be £7 for customers over 16. A statement from the Department of Health said that medicines must be dispensed by qualified staff in accordance with all legal requirements. Such items will be charged in England at a rate of £7 per item. The rest of the UK does not charge prescription fees if you obtain your prescription over the counter.

What Drugs Are In The Inhaler

Many inhalers contain steroids, like prednisone, to treat inflammation. Others have a type of drug called a bronchodilator to open up your airways. Some have both — this is known as a combination inhaler.

Anti-inflammatory asthma inhalers prevent asthma attacks and reduce swelling and mucus in your airways. They include:

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Side Effects Of Asthma Medications

Many medications have side effects. For example, inhaled steroids can cause mild problems, such as thrush infections and a sore throat, or more serious ones including eye disorders and bone loss. Keep your doctor up to date with how well your treatment is working and whether you have side effects. Theyâll work with you to keep your asthma under control with as little medicine as possible.

Asthma Inhalers Set To Be Added To Work First Aid Kits After Death Of 19

Lauren Reid died in February last year after a serious asthma attack in her Gin71 Glasgow restaurant. Her mum Elaine has been campaigning for salbutamol inhalers to be kept in commercial kitchens

Asthma inhalers are set to be included in at risk workplace first aid kits next year following the tragic death of a 19 year old chef.

Lauren Reid died in February last year after a serious asthma attack in her Gin71 Glasgow restaurant.

She had forgotten to bring her inhaler to work and suffered brain damage after a cardiac arrest. Days later Mum Elaine Cunningham, 46, made the heartbreaking decision to switch off her life support.

Elaine has been campaigning ever since for a Laurens Law which would legally require salbutamol inhalers now only available on prescription to be kept in commercial kitchens.

She said: If an inhaler had been in the first aid kit she would be alive today.

I do my grieving indoors and this campaign has kept me going. Now it looks like theres going to be a law in my daughters name and thats humbling.

Care minister Gillian Keegan told MPs there were a number of regulatory hoops to jump through first.

She added: We would need to ensure that the benefits of such a change would outweigh any risks.

Yet an amendment to the law in 2014 means that schools already have emergency inhalers on hand for asthmatic students.

And then there would have to be a public consultation before any change in the law could be made.

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To Use Your Puffer With A Spacer:

How Does An Inhaler Work

Metered dose inhalers

MDIs push out a pre-measured spray of asthma medicine. They look like mini aerosol cans. When a person squeezes the inhaler, a measured “puff” of medicine is released.

MDIs require coordination when used on their own. A child must be able to activate the device and breathe in at the same time. If not, the medicine may end up in the mouth instead of in the lungs. That’s why for younger kids many doctors recommend attaching the metered dose inhaler to a spacer.

A spacer is a kind of holding chamber for asthma medicine. It attaches to the inhaler on one end and to a mouthpiece or mask on the other end. When someone pushes down on the inhaler, the medicine stays in the spacer until he or she is ready to breathe it in. So, it’s possible for very young kids and even babies to take their medicines using a metered dose inhaler with a spacer because they don’t have to “do” anything other than sit and breathe.

With a spacer, it usually takes less than 30 seconds to get medicine into the lungs.

Some MDIs have counters that indicate how many doses remain. If there’s no counter, the number of doses already used should be tracked so that the inhaler can be replaced on time.

Dry Powder Inhalers

Dry powder inhalers deliver medicine as a powder. The powder is also breathed in, but it doesn’t spray out. Kids need to do more of the work by inhaling the powdered medicine quickly and strongly. Most kids can do this when they’re around 5 or 6 years old.

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New To Online Consultations

Just like your local GP, were here to support you with expert, confidential advice and treatment but without the travel and waiting time. You can reach us whether youre relaxing at home or hard at work. With pick up in store or free standard delivery, youll get fast access to the inhalers you need, if suitable for you.

How Can I Open My Lungs Without An Inhaler

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Not Waiting Between Inhalations

In some cases, your doctor will instruct you to take two inhalations, not just one. If so, its important to wait a minute between puffs so you can concentrate on the correct inhalation technique and create enough space in your lungs. It also gives the medicine time to remix.

If you have asthma or think you or a family member has asthma, to make an appointment or request one online.

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Keep Medications In A Cool Dry Place

A person should store inhalers at a controlled room temperature of about 77°F , though a range of 5986°F is usually safe.

Leaving medication in a car or another environment likely to experience extreme temperature changes can reduce its effectiveness.

If this happens, consult a doctor or pharmacist. They may recommend replacing the product.

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