Common Problems When Using A Turbuhaler
To get the most benefit, it is important to use the correct technique. Here are a few common problems:
- Not holding your turbuhaler upright while loading the dose.
- Covering the air inlets with your lips.
- Breathing in through your nose instead of your mouth.
- Shaking the inhaler to see how much is left.
- Storing your turbuhaler in a damp place with the cap off.
Combination Single Maintenance And Reliever Therapy
The guidelines were published in December in the Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunologyand on the NHLBI website.
The combination medication has been found to be more effective for helping you avoid unexpected trips to the emergency room or your doctors office, and can also help you avoid larger corticosteroid doses which with long-term use raise the risk of side effects such as osteoporosis, high blood pressure, cataracts, and glaucoma.
Will Medicine Help Me Sleep Better
Yes, if you have nighttime asthma symptoms. Many people wake up with asthma symptoms such as coughing or wheezing. You can control nighttime symptoms by taking asthma medicines as directed by your doctor.
Removing triggers where you sleep may help you sleep better. Many people are allergic to dust mites and mold found in bedding materials. Using mattress or pillow encasements can help contain those allergens. Dehumidifiers can also be helpful to reduce the humidity in your home that dust mites and mold need to exist. Using air cleaners in your bedroom may also help reduce your exposure to allergens and irritants .
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Do I Need An Inhaler Every Day
According to updated guidance from the National Institutes of Health, the daily use of long-acting inhalers is no longer necessary for people with mild to moderate persistent asthma. If you use an inhaler daily, ask your healthcare provider if the new guidelines might affect your treatment.
There are three types of long-acting inhalers commonly used for people with asthma:
Anyone Having Difficulty Using An Inhaler Can Try A Nebulizer
While not technically an inhaler, theres yet another option for inhaling medicine.
Nebulizer If you have severe asthma and are unable to use a regular inhaler, a nebulizer may be a better option.
This machine turns liquid medicine into a fine mist that you inhale through a mouthpiece, a mask that fits over your nose and mouth, or into your mouth alone.
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What Is An Inhaler
Around 1 in 13 people in the United States have asthma, and on average, 10 people die from this condition each day. A doctor may prescribe an asthma inhaler to help treat the symptoms of the condition.
Inhalers are portable, hand-held devices that deliver asthma medication to the lungs and airways. Inhalers can help prevent or relieve asthma symptoms, such as wheezing, coughing, and chest tightness.
Bronchodilators can be either short- or long-acting.
Short-acting inhalers, which people may also call quick-relief or rescue inhalers, provide short-term relief for sudden asthma symptoms.
Long-acting inhalers, on the other hand, can help prevent asthma symptoms. A person will usually need to use these inhalers daily.
Doctors may prescribe one or both types of bronchodilators in inhaler forms. An individual can also purchase over-the-counter inhalers to ease asthma symptoms.
Medical News Today chooses products that fit the following criteria:
- Price: Products fit a variety of budgets.
- Purpose: Products are suitable for a range of needs.
- Clarity: Brands and products give clear product information, including instructions on how to use a device.
It is advisable to consider the following factors before purchasing an OTC inhaler:
Things To Know About Albuterol
In serious cases, taking albuterol could cause your airways to tighten suddenly. This is called a bronchospasm and can make breathing difficult. This side effect happens immediately after using the inhaler. It can occur the first time you use a new canister. If this happens to you,call your doctor, and use a different asthma treatment.1-3
People withheart problemsshould be cautious about taking albuterol. Albuterol can cause changes in blood pressure, heart rate, and other heart disease symptoms. These effects are rare with the recommended dose of albuterol. Albuterol may also worsen conditions like thyroid problems, seizures, diabetes, or low potassium levels.1-3
Overusing your albuterol inhaler can worsen your asthma. Studies show that taking albuterol regularly can lead to worselung functionandasthma control. Albuterol is meant to provide occasional quick relief of symptoms, not long-term control. Using albuterol more than 2 days per week is a sign of poor asthma control. If you find yourself using albuterol often, consider discussing your asthma control options with your doctor.6
Before starting albuterol, tell your doctor about any prescription medicines, vitamins, supplements, or over-the-counter drugs you are taking. Certain medicines affect the way albuterol works, including other asthma drugs, other inhaled medicines,beta-blockers, diuretics, digoxin, monoamine oxidase inhibitors , and tricyclic antidepressants .1-3
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How To Look After Your Mdi
- Your inhaler can get blocked, especially where the medicine sprays out.
- Clean your inhaler weekly to ensure it doesn’t get blocked.
- To clean the inhaler, remove the plastic cap, remove the metal canister , rinse the plastic case under warm water for at least 30 seconds.
- Shake off any excess water, and leave the plastic case and cap to dry overnight.
- Put the metal canister back in, and replace the cap.
What Are The Forms Of Bronchodilators
There are two forms of bronchodilators:
- Short-acting bronchodilators. Short-acting bronchodilators quickly relieve or stop sudden asthma symptoms. Theyre effective for three to six hours. Another name for a short-acting bronchodilator is a rescue inhaler. Inhalers are canisters of medicine in a plastic holder with a mouthpiece. When you spray an inhaler, it gives a consistent dose of medication.
- Long-acting bronchodilators. Long-acting bronchodilators keep your airways open for 12 hours. You use these inhalers every day to prevent asthma attacks.
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When Is An Accuhaler Suitable
Since the accuhaler is a breath-activated device, you must be able to breathe in deeply, to use it properly.
- Adults and children 4 years and older should be able to use an accuhaler.
- Some people, such as those with severe COPD may not able to breathe in deeply enough to activate the accuhaler.
If you are unsure if the accuhaler is the correct device for you, talk to your doctor, nurse or pharmacist.
Can Medicine Alone Help My Asthma
Not usually. Although medicines help a lot, they may not be able to do the job alone. You have to avoid the things that cause or trigger your asthma symptoms as much as you can. Asthma triggers can be found outside or inside your home, school, or workplace.
Improving the indoor air quality in your home is an important part of asthma control. Your indoor air can be more polluted than outside air. Our interactive Healthy Home can show you ways to improve the indoor air quality of your home. A healthier home can reduce your exposure to allergens and irritants.
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What Are The Side Effects Of Theophylline
Side effects of theophylline include:
- Nausea and vomiting
- Jittery or nervous feeling
These side effects may also be a sign that youâve taken too much medication. Your doctor will check levels of the drug in your blood to make sure youâre getting the proper amount.
Always tell your doctors if you take theophylline for asthma because certain medications, like some antibiotics, seizure medicines, and ulcer medicines, can interact with it. Make sure your doctor knows about any other medical conditions you may have. Some diseases and illnesses can change how your body responds to theophylline.
And keep in mind that not only is smoking and exposure to cigarette smoke especially dangerous when you have asthma, it can also interfere with how your body responds to the medication. So itâs best to avoid smoke and cigarette smoking.
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Asthma Inhaler Type: Metered
Metered-dose inhalers are used for rescue medications and control medications such as long-acting beta-agonists and inhaled corticosteroids .2Figure 1. Metered dose inhaler
General guidelines for using a metered-dose inhaler are:2,3
Metered-dose inhalers can be difficult to use. It is hard to coordinate releasing the medication and breathing in. This is particularly hard for young children and elderly adults. If you use a valved holding chamber, you do not need to coordinate the puffing and breathing.2
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Talk To Your Asthma Specialist
If youâve been diagnosed with asthma but your treatment doesnât seem to work anymore, itâs time to see your doctor again. Likewise, if youâre having to use your rescue inhaler too often, see your doctor. You may need to change your asthma treatment for better control.
Though asthma is common, itâs a serious condition that needs a diagnosis and treatment. Talk to your doctor for asthma support, and find the medications that work best for you.
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Asthma Rescue Inhalers Are Crucial In Asthma Control
Nov 30, 2020 | rescue
* The albuterol in rescue inhalers opens breathing tubes quickly
* If it doesnt quickly improve your breathing, go to the ER
* A spacer should be used with all liquid medicine inhalers
* Generic albuterol is now available for about $22 per inhaler
You and I both know this your rescue inhaler is your go-to when the wheezing starts.
Why? Because you get immediate relief .
HOW?
This type of inhaler creates a cloud of medicine: either
that are carried deep into your lungs with a deep breath.
When this medicine hits the inner lining of your breathing tubes , it soaks into the muscle layer around the tubes, causing them to relax. That makes the tube get larger inside, allowing more air to move. This makes your breathing much easier.
The medicine in these inhalers is albuterol or a variant of it. It has a short duration of action which means:
- it works quickly but
- It wears off quickly.
For this reason, it is meant for temporary relief.
In a typical asthma action plan, albuterol is used for immediate relief or what we call RESCUE.
If it works, you are encouraged to consult with your doctor to understand what triggered that wheeze.
If we cant be sure that youll be able to avoid that trigger, additional medication will be prescribed to overcome this sensitivity.
There are some issues:
SOMETIMES YOU DONT GET RELIEF:
It is reasonable to try a second dose according to your Asthma Action Plan, but
COST:
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What Are The Different Types Of Delivery Devices For Asthma Medicines
You take most asthma medicines by breathing them in using an inhaler or nebulizer. An inhaler or nebulizer allows the medicine to go directly to your lungs. But some asthma medicines are in pill form, infusion form, or injectable form.
Inhalers
There are four types of asthma inhaler devices that deliver medicine: metered dose inhalers , dry powder inhalers , breath actuated inhalers, and soft mist inhalers.
- Metered dose inhalers have medicine plus a propellant. The propellant sprays the medicine out of the inhaler in a short burst.
- Dry powder inhalers do not have a propellant and do not spray the medicine out of the inhaler. The medicine is released from the inhaler when you breathe it in.
- Breath actuated inhalers have a dry powder or aerosol medicine. The medicine does not spray out of the inhaler. The medicine is released from the inhaler when you breathe it in.
- Soft mist inhalers do not have propellant, but they do spray the medicine out of the inhaler. They create a cloud of medicine that sprays out softly.
Different types of asthma devices
For inhalers to work well, you must use them correctly. But 70 to 90% of people who use inhalers make at least one mistake when using their inhaler.1 Inhaler mistakes can lead to uncontrolled asthma. Ask your doctor or nurse to watch you use your inhaler to make sure you are using it correctly.
Spacers and valved holding chambers
Nebulizers
Injectables
Common Mistakes When Using The Mdi
- Breathing in too fast.
- Breathing out so hard that you cough.
- Pressing the puffer too early before you have started to breathe in .
- Tilting your head down it should be tilting back slightly.
- Pressing the inhaler two times during a single inhalation.
- Giving the inhaler a ‘test puff’ into the air and wasting the medication.
- Breathing in through the nose instead of the mouth.
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When A Nebulizer Is Used Instead
Babies and very young children with asthma who arenât yet able to manage an inhaler typically receive inhaled medications via a nebulizera machine that turns the medicine into a mist.
With a nebulizer, liquid medication for asthma is placed into a cup. On one side, the cup is connected to a mask that will fit over a young childs mouth and nose. On the other side, itâs attached to tubing. The tubing runs into a motorized device. When you turn on the motor, the liquid medication is vaporized and comes out into the mask.
Babies, toddlers, and young children dont have to do anything to receive the correct dosage of medication. They just need to breathe in the midst. It can take some time to get your child comfortable using the mask. Arranging a simple activity that encourages them to sit still, like looking at a picture book, will help ensure they get the required dosage.
How To Use Your Ellipta Inhaler
To get the most benefit, it is important to use the correct technique. Ask your doctor, pharmacist, or nurse to explain how to use your Ellipta inhaler. The following is a guide:
Using your Ellipta inhaler
- Remove the device from the foil packing.
- Open: pull back the mouth piece cover until you hear a click. Hold the device upright at all times. Breath out away from the device.
- Inhale your dose: press your lips around the mouthpiece without covering the air vents on either side. Begin to breathe in rapidly and deeply through your mouth. Hold your breath for up to 10 seconds. Breathe out slowly. Close the mouth piece cover.
Cleaning and storing your Ellipta inhaler: clean your device once a week by wiping the mouthpiece with a clean dry tissue. Do not wash the mouthpiece or allow it to get wet when cleaning. Close the device when not in use. Store it in a cool dry place, away from heat and moisture.
When to start a new inhaler: there is a window on the front of your Ellipta inhaler called a dose counter. When it turns red it is time to get a new inhaler.
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Additional Feature: Valved Holding Chamber
A valved holding chamber is a device that is placed on the mouthpiece of the metered-dose inhaler . It has a one-way valve that prevents you from breathing into the device. It can be used with a mouthpiece or facemask.
There are several advantages of using a valved holding chamber. You do not need to coordinate releasing the medication and breathing. You release the medication first. Then you breathe in. It also prevents medication from spraying directly into the back of your mouth and sticking there. Using this device can help get more medication into your lungs.2Figure 2. Metered dose inhaler with a valved holding chamber
To use the valved holding chamber with a metered dose inhaler:2,3
Asthma Lifestyle Home Remedies
In addition to following your treatment plan, you can try:
- Breathing exercises. These can lower the amount of medication you need to control your symptoms.
- Herbal and natural remedies. Things that may help improve asthma symptoms include:
- Black seed oil . Some studies have shown that it can help open airways.
- Caffeine. Itâs a mild bronchodilator, meaning it can open your airways, but it doesnât work as fast as medications. Avoid caffeine for several hours before any medical appointment that might include a lung function test.
- Choline. This helps your body work the way it should. You can get it in meat, liver, eggs, poultry, fish, shellfish, peanuts, and cauliflower, or from a supplement.
- Pycnogenol. You can get this pine bark extract as a supplement.
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Relievers For Adults And Children
Everyone who has asthma needs a reliever to use when they have asthma symptoms.
In Australia, most relievers are available from pharmacies without a prescription. Relievers should only be used when you or your child has symptoms and should not be over-used.
In preschool children, wheezing may not be asthma. Wheezing does not need to be treated if your child is still happy and active while wheezing and does not seem to be having any problem breathing. If it is hard for your child to breathe while wheezing , you must seek medical help immediately.