Wait One Minute Between Puffs
A pharmacist told me there are a couple of reasons why. The 1st puff will go about halfway through the lungs and stop. Since the 1st puff has cleared a path, that makes it easier for the 2nd puff to quickly travel through the first part of lungs, then plow through to the end of the lungs. The other reason is that it gives the propellant and medicine time to swirl around and mix.
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Not Rinsing Your Mouth After You Use Your Controller Inhaler
Have you ever heard of thrush? Its an uncomfortable fungal infection on the tongue. Your tongue can turn white and can get red spots on it which can bleed. Food may also taste a little off. Controller inhalers are made with a yeast base, so if you dont rinse your mouth out, you can get thrush.
Good technique is so important to make sure you are getting ALL of the medicine you need!
Is Bronchiectasis On The Increase Why
Bronchiectasis is a chronic lung disease associated recurrent chest infections. It is very common in Pacific peoples and Mori and can be recognised by a wet cough for more than one month. They may have repeated infections requiring antibiotics.
If you think that you or your child may have bronchiectasis, discuss this with your GP.
In people with bronchiectasis it is important that they have sputum cultures when unwell, and they often need courses of antibiotics when they experience chest infections, recognised by an increase in the amount and discolour of their sputum, and fever.
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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.
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Path To Improved Well Being
Your doctor will give you a peak flow meter to monitor your asthma. Use it regularly. Keep a log of your results. The meter is a plastic tube that you blow into several times a day. It checks how well your lungs are working. The results tell you when you need to take extra medicine or call your doctor.
Stay in good, overall health. Maintain a good weight and eat a balanced diet. Get regular exercise. If you smoke, quit. Avoid secondhand smoke.
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What Happens Internally During An Asthma Attack
When you experience a trigger, the insides of your airways swell even more. This narrows the space for air to move in and out of the lungs. The muscles that wrap around your airways also can tighten, making breathing even harder. When that happens, its called an asthma flare-up, asthma episode or asthma attack.
How Do I Work Out What My Triggers Are
A trigger is something that can make asthma worse. The bodys immune system over-reacts to certain things which may cause an asthma flare-up. There are a number of things that can trigger asthma including environmental, emotional, allergic, and infective factors.
Triggers are different for everyone and often it is not just one trigger that sets-off an asthma attack, but a combination of several triggers around the same time. Knowing as much as you can about your asthma triggers is important, so that you can avoid or reduce your exposure to them.
Identifying your triggers is often trial and error so it is useful to keep a note of what you have been in contact with when you find that your symptoms are becoming worse. Allergy testing can be done to identify an immune response, ask your doctor about this.
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Increased Excitability Or Hyperactivity
Sudden, noticeable excitement after beginning albuterol therapy is a less common side effect, occurring in less than 1 in 10 patients. Its more common in children and adolescents 2 to 14 years old than in older patients. In children, hyperactivity may show up as nervousness or jitters. Fortunately, this side effect tends to resolve within a few days or weeks after starting the medication.
Can You Use Someone Elses Inhaler
Fact Checked
Inhalers are often required to prevent asthma attacks and help those suffering from the condition breathe better 1.There are many types of asthma medications that come in the form of inhalers 1. It is not safe to use another persons inhaler for many reasons 1.
If you are experiencing serious medical symptoms, seek emergency treatment immediately.
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During An Asthma Attack
In a sudden asthma attack you can use your inhaler more and take up to 10 puffs. Wait 30 seconds and always shake the inhaler between doses. You can repeat this dose 10 minutes later.
Immediate action required: Call 999 or go to A& E now if you or your child:
- are struggling to breathe
- have asthma symptoms that are not getting better
Asthma attacks can get worse very quickly.
For treating severe asthma attacks, salbutamol can be given through a nebuliser. A nebuliser is a machine that delivers the medicine as a mist inhaled through a face mask. This will probably be given to you by your doctor.
What Is Asthma Anyway
First up, a little anatomy refresher: Your airways, which extend between your nose and mouth and your lungs, have the very important job of carrying air in and out of your body, according to the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute . When you have asthma, triggers like animal fur, pollen, mold, cold air, cigarette smoke, exercise, and respiratory infections like colds cause your airways to get inflamed, according to the NHLBI. That inflammation can cause swelling, which in turn can prompt the muscles around your airways to tighten, making it hard to get air in and out. At the same time, your airways might also expel more mucus than they usually do, making it even harder to breathe.
Experts dont know exactly what causes some people to get asthma when others dont, but its pretty safe to assume that its probably a combination of environmental factors and genetic factors. For example, if someone in your immediate family has asthma, youre more likely to have it too, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention . Beyond that, the general cause is a stronger-than-normal response from your immune system to certain triggers, which is why you get all that inflammation when people without asthma dont, says the NHLBI.
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Asthma Isnt An Excuse Not To Work Out
- Warm up and cool down before exercising. This will help you lungs get acclimated to the air.
- Avoid working out during cold weather. If you do, cover your mouth and nose.
- Avoid working out when you have a cold or viral infection.
- Always use your inhaler or prescribed medication before you work out.
You shouldnt use EIB as an excuse not to work out and get exercise. Its likely possible as long as you work with your doctor, find a regimen that works for you and take any medication as necessary, said EXPERT. Dr. Navitha Ramesh is a pulmonologist at Geisinger Wyoming Valley. To schedule an appointment, call 800-275-6401.
Geisinger Health Plan may refer collectively to Geisinger Health Plan, Geisinger Quality Options Inc., and Geisinger Indemnity Insurance Company, unless otherwise noted. Geisinger Gold Medicare Advantage HMO, PPO, and HMO D-SNP plans are offered by Geisinger Health Plan/Geisinger Indemnity Insurance Company, health plans with a Medicare contract. Continued enrollment in Geisinger Gold depends on annual contract renewal. Geisinger Health Plan Kids and Geisinger Health Plan Family are offered by Geisinger Health Plan in conjunction with the Pennsylvania Department of Human Services . Geisinger Health Plan is part of Geisinger, an integrated health care delivery and coverage organization.
How And When To Use Your Inhaler
Only use your salbutamol when you need it. This may be when you notice symptoms, such as coughing, wheezing, shortness of breath and tightness in the chest or you know that you are going to do an activity that can make you breathless, for example climbing stairs or sport. You should feel a difference to your breathing within a few minutes.
The normal way for adults and children to use their inhaler is:
- 1 or 2 puffs of salbutamol when you need it
- up to a maximum of 4 times in 24 hours
Salbutamol is sometimes prescribed to prevent breathing symptoms happening in the first place. This could be before a trigger such as exercise or exposure to pets. In this situation, the normal dose is still 1 or 2 puffs at a time.
If you need to use your inhaler more than 4 times in 24 hours:
- it may mean that your health problem is getting worse and that you need different treatment
- you are more likely to get side effects such as increased heart rate, jitteriness, nervousness and headaches
Make an appointment to see your doctor, pharmacist or nurse if you need to use your inhaler:
- more than 4 times in 24 hours
- more than 2 days of each week
- in the middle of the night at least once a week
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Is It Safe To Take A Trip On An Airplane If I Have Recently Had An Asthma Attack
There are no specific recommendations on whether it is safe or not, however some common sense principles would apply:
– if you have recently had an asthma flare up you should have a follow up visit including a lung function test and have been cleared by your GP or specialist to travel
– your doctor should ensure that your oxygen saturation is be normal at rest and on exertion
– you must take all your asthma medications on board, including prednisone and a spacer if you use an MDI
– its important to check the conditions on your travel insurance.
Asthma Allergies And Covid
Throughout the pandemic, having asthma was considered a risk factor for severe COVID-19. But new data show that people with asthma are relatively protected from severe COVID-19, said Geoffrey Chupp, MD, professor of medicine in the Section of Pulmonary, Critical Care & Sleep Medicine at Yale School of Medicine .
We looked at 8,000 hospital admissions of patients with COVID-19, and we found that the patients who were diagnosed with asthma about 10% of the patients were more likely to survive compared to those people who didnt have asthma, Chupp said. He emphasized that the patients had asthma, not smoking-related lung diseases such as emphysema and COPD.
Its possible that some of the medications used for asthma helped to reduce the inflammation that COVID-19 causes, Chupp said. Its also likely that the type of immune response most asthmatics have, the allergic response, protected them from severe lung damage, he added.
However, after these patients recovered from COVID-19, their asthma became reactivated. As they healed, their natural immune response came back with more activity, explained Chupp. Were seeing a fair amount of post-COVID uncontrolled asthma. Most people do well but some have this persistence, a kind of long-hauler problem, although most of them will get better with time.
Asthma, Allergies & Pollen
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What Happens To Your Lungs When You Have Asthma Attack
During an asthma attack the muscle wall contracts and the lining of the airways becomes swollen and inflamed. These changes cause a narrowing of the airways which is further aggravated by an increase in secretions from the mucus membrane, which may actually block the smaller airways.
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Reducing The Burden Of Asthma
Asthma cannot be cured, but good management with inhaled medications can control the disease and enable people with asthma to enjoy a normal, active life.
There are two main types of inhaler:
- bronchodilators , that open the air passages and relieve symptoms and
- steroids , that reduce inflammation in the air passages. This improves asthma symptoms and reduces the risk of severe asthma attacks and death.
People with asthma may need to use their inhaler every day. Their treatment will depend on the frequency of symptoms and the different types of inhalers available.
It can be difficult to coordinate breathing using an inhaler especially for children and during emergency situations. Using a spacer device makes it easier to use an aerosol inhaler and helps the medicine to reach the lungs more effectively. A spacer is a plastic container with a mouthpiece or mask at one end, and a hole for the inhaler in the other. A homemade spacer, made from a 500-ml plastic bottle, can be as effective as a commercially-manufactured inhaler.
Access to inhalers is a problem in many countries. In 2019, only half of people with asthma had access to a bronchodilator and less than one in five had access to a steroid inhaler in public primary health-care facilities in low-income countries .
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What Medications Can Prevent Exercise
If your medication has been adapted to your specific situation and you can effectively control your asthma, you are far less likely to have sudden breathing difficulties when you do sports. Your doctor can help you find the type of medication that best suits your physical activities.
There are two main groups of medications, known as controllers and relievers. Controller medication is used as a long-term treatment to keep the asthma under control. The effect of this medication is felt slowly over time. Reliever medication has a quick and short-term effect. It can be used before doing strenuous physical activities, as well as to relieve acute asthma attacks. Its important to talk to your doctor about how often you can safely use reliever medication per day.
The following medications can be used before strenuous activities to prevent exercise-induced :
Its often not easy to know which medications will best prevent exercise-induced . You may have to try out different medications to find out which medication works best for you.
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Medical Research On Marijuana For Asthma
Did you know that the ancient Egyptians used cannabis to treat various conditions, including possibly asthma? Legendary French writer, Marcel Proust used cannabis to manage his asthmatic symptoms so much so that he referred to his joints as anti-asthma cigarettes. In the 1920s, when it was still legal in many states, physicians often prescribed cannabis concoctions as a cough medication.
Then, prohibition kicked in and the tobacco industry swelled to an extraordinary level. Once the link between cigarettes and lung cancer was uncovered, all forms of smoking were labeled as extremely dangerous.
In the modern era, studies on the benefits of marijuana for asthma sufferers are virtually non-existent. We do know, however, that some molecular variations of THC can produce a bronchodilatory effect. Furthermore, it is worth mentioning that asthma is a chronic inflammatory disease, and cannabis is known for its anti-inflammatory effects.
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What Is The Link Between Asthma Allergies And Eczema
These conditions can have a common allergic link. Eczema is often inherited and infants with parents who have allergies or asthma are at highest risk for development.
Atopic dermatitis is often the beginning of the atopic march: babies start out with eczema and perhaps food allergies then later asthma develops along with allergic rhinitis and hay fever. This results in an increase in the bodys allergic antibodies.
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 inflammation.
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 drugs start to work.
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Can Mild Asthma Go Away
Asthma can go away, although this happens more often when asthma starts in childhood than when it starts in adulthood. When asthma goes away, sometimes thats because it wasnt there in the first place. Asthma can be surprisingly hard to diagnose. The three main symptoms are wheezing, coughing, and shortness of breath.
Are There Certain Times Of The Year When You Are More Likely To Suffer A Flare
Asthma is different for everyone. Although there are common triggers, different triggers affect different people. If a person is affected by an infective trigger , then winter will be when their asthma symptoms are worse for them. If the trigger is allergic, then springtime is the time when their asthma symptoms will occur.
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What Happens When You Use Too Much
Sometimes, when the attacks are severe, we may feel the urge to take more puffs from an inhaler than a doctor has prescribed. Taking too much from an inhaler is harmful. The amount that was taken and the type of inhaler also determines to a large extent the effects that will be felt.
If you take too many puffs of your inhaler, you may have a fast heartbeat, feel shaky or have a headache. You may also have increased acid in the blood, which may cause an increased rate of breathing.