How To Use A Metered Dose Inhaler
Inhalers are different, so check your instructions.
- Prime the inhaler first. You need to do this when you use an inhaler for the first time, or if you havenât used it for 2 weeks or more.
- Shake it for 5 seconds, turn the inhaler away from you, and press down to spray it.
- Wait a few seconds and do it again.
- Then do this two more times for a total of four.
Heres How To Use An Inhaler
Every Day: Control Inhaler
These inhalers help prevent flares and keep symptoms from getting worse. They’re called control inhalers because they have medicine that controls .
Use yours as often as your doctor tells you to, usually once or twice a day:
- Whether or not you’re having symptoms
- Even if you feel like you’re doing better
If you’re supposed to use it two times a day, aim for 12 hours apart.
When you begin using this kind of inhaler, it may be 2 to 4 weeks before you notice the start to work.
Tips For When You Dont Have An Inhaler
Mild to moderate asthma attacks can occur at inopportune times. You may be able to manage your asthma more effectively with these tips. If these dont work CALL AN AMBULANCE.
How To Survive An Asthma Attack If Youre Caught Without Your Inhaler
If you have asthma, you probably never go anywhere without your inhaler. But what if, due to negligence, you go out without it and have a sudden asthma attack?
“The importance of always carrying rescue medication cannot be understated”, says associate professor Loo Chian Min, head and senior consultant, Department of Respiratory & Critical Care Medicine, Singapore General Hospital . “It is absolutely vital that you don’t forget your inhaler wherever you go.”
What happens during an asthma attackAsthma occurs when the airways in the lungs become inflamed and are blocked by mucus, making breathing difficult. The chest tightens and the lungs seem to produce a wheezing sound.
There could be many triggers for an asthma attack.Air pollution, exposure to irritants such as dust, cigarette smoke and pet dander, physical exertion and emotional outbursts can all trigger an asthma attack.
Related article: How well do you control your asthma? Take the test!
Six things to do if caught without an inhaler during an asthma attack“Never, ever let up on your asthma medications even if you feel your condition has improved,” says Loo. Asthma needs constant care and proper management at all times. Your very life depends on it.
However, should you be caught without your inhaler due to unforeseen circumstances, you could try these coping techniques:
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Sit upright
Stop whatever you are doing and sit upright. Bending over or lying down can constrict your breathing even more.
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Take long, deep breaths
What Types Of Asthma Devices Are Available
The most commonly prescribed asthma medicines come in inhaler form or liquids to be used in a nebulizer.
These are the types of devices that deliver asthma medicine:
- Metered dose inhaler
- Breath actuated inhaler
- Nebulizer
An MDI has an aerosol canister housed in a plastic mouthpiece. You squeeze the canister to release a puff of medicine. They deliver medicine best when used with a spacer or holding chamber.
A soft mist inhaler is a type of MDI that delivers medicine in a mist form.
A DPI delivers medicine as a dry powder. It delivers the medicine when you inhale.
A breath actuated inhaler looks like an MDI. But it is not a press-and-breathe inhaler. It works like a DPI it delivers the medicine when you inhale.
People with severe asthma, children or someone who is having an asthma attack may not have enough airflow to use a DPI or breath actuated inhaler.
Many inhalers need to be primed when first opened, and some may need to be primed before each use. This is especially true for MDIs and soft mist inhalers. Check your medicines instructions. Breath actuated inhalers and DPIs do not need to be primed.
Priming the inhaler means you spray it into the open air, away from anyone. This action gets the inhaler ready for use.
Nebulizers are machines that deliver asthma medicine in the form of a mist. Tubing and a mask are used to breathe in the medicine. Nebulizers are an option for anyone who has difficulty using an asthma inhaler, such as very young children.
How To Cure Asthma Permanently At Home With Natural Remedies
Asthma is a chronic lung disease that causes inflammation and narrowing of the bronchial tubes. Very common symptoms of asthma are shortness of breath, hearing a wheezing or whistling sound in the chest, or cough for a long time. 26 million people have asthma in the USA, out of which 7 million asthma patients are children. Asthma is a genetic disease that runs from one generation to another generation.
50 % of patients suffer because their family had this disease at some point in time in their lives, and the rest are suffering because of environmental effects. There are treatments that can cure this disease. You can cure Asthma at home with natural remedies without medicine and live a healthy and active life.
Asthma affects on airways system of the body
How To Take And Store
A member of your healthcare team and/or your pharmacist should go over the proper way to use your inhaler when it is first prescribed. Using your inhaler correctly is essential to ensuring you get a full dose of medication.
Albuterol inhalers are relatively easy to operate. A spacer is recommended as it ensures the medication goes deeper into the throat rather than being dispersed in the mouth.
If youre using the inhaler for the first time or have not used it in the past 14 days, you will need to prime it by shaking the canister and pressing it down four times to clear the opening.
Then, follow these five steps:
Be sure to clean your inhaler at least once a week to prevent clogs and contamination. Just remove the canister from its holder, rinse the holder under warm water for 30 seconds, and then allow it to dry overnight.
- Visual changes
- Worsened breathing
If used excessively or for long periods of time, albuterol can lead to low potassium levels , which may be serious in people with kidney failure.
How Is Asthma Treated
Asthma medications play a central role in a treatment plan. Some medications prevent or reduce airway inflammation; others interrupt the allergic reaction that triggers symptoms; others relieve coughing and wheezing, making it easier to breathe.
Your doctor will work with you to find the right combination of medicines to manage your asthma and adjust the type and amount based on your symptoms and the type of asthma that you have. The goal of asthma treatment is to have you feel your best with the least amount of medicine.
Get to know your medications. Understand how and why they treat and soothe your lungs and airways. If youre prescribed an inhaler, ask for one with a dose counter. Learn when and how youre supposed to use your inhaler and follow your plan to better breathing.
When you hear the term steroids in asthma care, they are referring to NOT the anabolic steroids used illegally in body building.
What Types Of Asthma Are There
Healthcare providers identify asthma as intermittent or persistent . Persistent asthma can be mild, moderate or severe. Healthcare providers base asthma severity on how often you have attacks. They also consider how well you can do things during an attack.
Asthma can be:
- Allergic: Some peoples can cause an asthma attack. Molds, pollens and other allergens can cause an attack.
- Non-allergic: Outside factors can cause asthma to flare up. Exercise, stress, illness and weather may cause a flare.
Do You Offer Asthma Treatment Near Me
Please keep in mind that asthma requires professional care and support, so diet, exercise, and the other self-care methods we mentioned arent adequate for managing the condition. The services of a professional are necessary. Also, its important to consult a professional before beginning any treatment methods like the ones we mentioned.
We offer many treatments and techniques for managing asthma here at Olivero Pediatrics. To learn more about them, reach out to us today. Our clinic is located at 1243 Skytop Mountain Rd. Suite 4, Port Matilda, PA 16870, and you can reach us at 256-4466. Youre also welcome to make a consultation or appointment with us, if you like!
Dont hesitate to reach out if you need more advice about how to help your child with their asthma!
How To Help Someone Having An Asthma Attack Without An Inhaler
Trying to help a person struggling through an asthma attack without an inhaler can be a frightening experience, but the most important thing you can do to help is to stay calm. Aside from breathing slowly, staying calm is crucial for the person experiencing an asthma attack and you dont want to add to the stress he is experiencing.
Effective Ways To Treat Asthma At Home
In people with asthma, the airways become narrow and produce a lot of mucus. It triggers difficulty in breathing, wheezing, coughing, and shortness of breath. Several factors can increase the risk of suffering from asthma. Some of the risk factors include having a blood relative with asthma, smoking, being overweight, and passive smoking. For some people, asthma doesnt pose many problems. However, there are others who suffer from asthma attacks.
Are you tired of having to latch on to your inhaler and your asthma medications? Do not let them go just yet. Make a few changes to your lifestyle see your symptoms ease up a lot.
10 Home Remedies for Asthma are:
Can Certain Foods Help With Asthma
Theres an increasing amount of evidence that suggests certain foods can help to control asthma. One example is ginger. Researchers found that ginger, when combined with commonly used inhaled medications, enhances airway dilation. It is believed that the ginger reduces the contraction of the muscles surrounding the airways.
A study showed that omega-3 fatty acids may help patients be less reliant on rescue medications, and improve quality of life. Its easy to get more foods high in these fats. Sources include walnuts , salmon, pumpkin seeds, and more.
Additionally, it may help your child to get more vitamin B6. It has been shown to help with breathing early in the morning and reduce acute wheezing episodes, and its especially beneficial for patients who are dependent on a steroid for their asthma.
It may also help your child to increase their intake of vitamin C. Studies showed that this reduced episodes of wheezing in children.
You may want to talk to a professional before incorporating new foods into your childs diet.
How To Prevent Asthma Attacks Without An Inhaler
Prevention is key when it comes to staving off asthma attacks so you can start to rely on your inhaler less. But theres no single best way to do it you need to find what works for you.
One thing is for sure thoughit takes a lot of work to become 100% asthma-attack free. But it can be done Im living proof .
I have stopped taking my preventative inhaler completely, and I only carry around my ventolin for emergencies now. But Ive only needed it a few times in the last few years, only when Im sick.
Heres the 5 easy and specific steps I took to get ventolin-free.
Taking the first steps, you will likely see a dramatic improvement in your asthma symptoms in a short period of time.
In my own personal experience, it was a complete change in my lifestyle that finally got me to the point where I wasnt ever having an asthma attack or reaching for my inhaler.
Every once in a while I experience a mild shortness of breath, but its never so much that I cant find relief using some simple techniques that I outline below.
Basically, I beat my asthma attacks by addressing my lack of physical activity, switching to a healthier diet and employing controlled breathing in times of need. Read on and let me take you through the basics.
Cold Weather And Asthma
Cold weather is a common trigger for asthma symptoms. The following to help you control your symptoms in the cold:
- carry your reliever inhaler with you at all times and keep taking your regular preventer inhaler as prescribed
- if you need to use your inhaler more than usual, speak to your doctor about reviewing your treatment
- keep warm and dry wear gloves, a scarf and a hat, and carry an umbrella
- wrap a scarf loosely over your nose and mouth this will help warm up the air before you breathe it
- try breathing in through your nose instead of your mouth your nose warms the air as you breathe
Asthma Society of Ireland has more about weather and asthma.
How Do Inhalers Help With Asthma
While you do your best each day to avoid the triggers that might kickstart your asthma symptoms, you cant always prepare for everything. For instance, you might engage in physical activity thats more vigorous than predicted. The air quality around you might suddenly and unexpectedly change due to smoke, or other irritants.
During those times, it helps to have an inhaler. Inhalers are a medical treatment that can treat your airways, so you can breathe and avoid a more serious asthmatic episode. If youre already having such an episode, an inhaler can get your breathing back on a more even level.
Not all inhalers are the same, and depending on your age, health and lifestyle, you will be prescribed one over another by your allergist. In this article, well discuss the various kinds of inhalers as well as how they help manage symptoms.
See related: Asthma Attacks: Triggers and Treatments
What Medications Can Help With Asthma
Asthma attacks, airway inflammation, and other issues can be controlled or prevented in many cases. Certain medications can be taken every day, like inhaled corticosteroids and leukotriene modifiers. These can help a child live more easily with their asthma and live a more active life. Of course, rescue inhalers will help too, and can be vital for a child.
Will Medicine Help Me Breathe Better When I Exercise
Yes. Exercising, particularly in cold air, may cause airway swelling or exercise-induced bronchoconstriction . Quick-relief asthma medicines, taken before exercise, usually control this. If you need repeated doses of quick-relief medicine during and after exercise talk with your doctor. Your medicines may need to be adjusted. Thanks to these medicines, many Olympic and professional athletes have successful sports careers even with their asthma.
It is important for everyone, including people with asthma, to be as active as possible for good health. Talk with your doctor about how you can be physically active while keeping your asthma well-controlled.
How To Control Asthma Without An Inhaler
Asthma is a common disease that affects the respiratory system of the patients and causes wheezing, coughing and breathing difficulties. Asthma is caused by an exaggerated reaction of the immune system. In asthmatics, the immune system has a severe reaction to normal stimuli such as cold air, dust or pollen. This causes inflammation and swelling in the airways that end in the symptoms of asthma.
Take albuterol pills. Albuterol belongs to a class of drugs known as beta-2 agonists. Albuterol is normally ingested in an inhaled form, but it can also be prescribed orally as albuterol sulfate . Albuterol works by relaxing the airways, helping to relieve some of the symptoms of asthma.
Take theophylline. Theophylline is a medication that can be taken as a daily pill. It works helping to control asthma. It works by relaxing the muscles around the airways, helping them to remain open.
Take oral corticosteroids. Asthma is caused by an overactive immune system. Corticosteroids act by repressing it. They are prescribed as an aerosol, but they can also be prescribed orally in the form of pills.
Get an injection of immunotherapy. Many asthmatics have symptoms caused by allergies. Allergies can be suppressed by using some injectable drugs that include omalizumab and others. These medications are usually administered every few months by a doctor.
Home Remedies For Asthma
1. Best Foods for Treating Asthma
Eating a healthy diet supplies asthma sufferers with antioxidants and nutrients to combat environmental toxins, control inflammatory responses and reduce dietary triggers. Eating a wide variety of foods can ensure that you or your child gets all the nutrients needed to support strong immunity. There have been numerous studies that show consuming the right foods can be the one of the best home remedies for asthma.
Some of the most beneficial foods to include in your asthma diet plan are:
- Brightly colored carotenoid foods: This compound gives fruit and vegetables their orange or red color and can help reduce asthma attacks. are the basis of vitamin A, which is involved in the maintenance of healthy mucous membranes that line the air passageways. Severity of asthma correlates with low vitamin A, so increase your intake of things like root veggies, sweet potatoes, carrots, leafy greens and berries. A study of 68,000 women showed that those who ate more tomatoes, carrots and leafy greens had much lower rates of asthma and that people prone to asthma tended to have low levels of circulating carotenoids in their blood.
- Foods with folate : Folate reduces allergic reactions and inflammation. It might be capable of lowering wheezing by regulating inflammatory processes as well. High-folate foods include green leafy vegetables, beans and nuts.
2. Avoid Foods that Can Make Asthma Attacks Worse
3. Supplements for Asthma
5. Other Home Remedies for Asthma
Are There Natural Remedies For Asthma Attacks
The typical treatment for an asthma attack is a quick-acting with . Sit upright and take slow, steady breaths. Try to stay calm. Follow the asthma action plan that youâve set up with your doctor. If your breathing doesnât get better or if youâre so short of breath that you canât talk, get medical help right away.
Some breathing exercises can help with symptoms of an asthma attack.
- Pursed-lip breathing. This slows your breathing and helps hold your airways open longer so your lungs work better. With your closed, breathe in slowly through your nose. Then breathe out through your , with your lips pursed like youâre whistling, for twice as long.
- Belly breathing. This technique uses the same steps as pursed-lip breathing. But as you breathe in, focus on the movement of your belly. Picture it filling with air like a balloon. It may help to keep your hands on your belly so you can concentrate on the air going in and out.
Final Thought On Stopping Asthma Attacks
The bad news is that there is no reliable way to stop an asthma attack without medication, specifically a fast acting inhaler.
But the very good news is there are a million ways to prevent asthma attacks from occurring and they all involve getting healthier, which is important in its own right.
Uncontrolled asthma and frequent asthma attacks are generally a symptom of a bad lifestyle.
So if youre overweight, you need to deal with that.
If your diet is full of junky, sugary foods, or other foods your body cant tolerate, you need to deal with that.
And if youre living a sedentary life where you sit all day, you need to deal with that too.
I know none of this is easy, but if you can figure all this out, you wont find yourself reaching for your inhaler so much. You might even be able to ditch your maintenance inhaler like I did.
And please let us know in the comments if youve tried any of these strategies, and what you do to keep your symptoms at bay. Its great to hear from fellow asthmatics so we can all teach each other better ways to manage our symptoms and live well!
Tips To Keep Your Asthma Under Control
May 4th, 2015
Almost three million Canadians and more than 300 million people worldwide have asthma, including many top athletes. Asthma is a common chronic lung disease that can make it difficult to breathe. Although there is no cure for asthma, those with the condition can live healthy, active lives if their asthma is under control.
For World Asthma Day , the Canadian Lung Association has some helpful tips for people with asthma.
1. Know your triggers and avoid themTriggers like allergens and irritants can make your asthma symptoms worse by irritating your airways. The best way to control your asthma is to know what your asthma triggers are and how to avoid them.
2. Take your asthma medication as prescribed by your doctorMany people think they can skip their asthma preventer medications when they don’t feel any symptoms that’s not true. Asthma is a chronic disease. If you have asthma, you have it all the time, even when you don’t feel symptoms. You have to manage your asthma every day, not just on days when you feel symptoms. Read more about asthma medications and how to use them.
3. Learn how to use your inhaler properlyYour health-care provider can show you how to use your inhaler properly so that your medicine reaches the airways. Ask him or her to watch you useyour inhaler. Your health-care provider may offer suggestions on how to improve your technique so that the medication gets to your airways. Watch our videos on how to properly use your inhalers.
Move Away From Triggers
The presence of asthma triggers wont only cause an attack, they can also make your symptoms worse. Be sure to try to get away from things that may be triggering your asthma attack.
For example, if youre in an area where people are smoking cigarettes, you should move away promptly.
Its also important to know your triggers. Common triggers include:
- , such as pet dander, pollen, or certain foods
You should always be sure to seek immediate emergency medical treatment if you experience any of the following symptoms during an asthma attack:
- your symptoms continue to get worse even after treatment
- you cant speak except in short words or phrases
- youre straining your chest muscles in an effort to breathe
- your shortness of breath or wheezing is severe, particularly in the early morning or late-night hours
- you begin to feel drowsy or tired
- your lips or face appear blue when youre not coughing
Symptoms that indicate that you could be experiencing an asthma attack include:
- severe shortness of breath