Your inhaler isn't helping? Tips to get the medicine in the right place.

I was watching a movie, Jumanji to be exact, and one of the main characters with asthma would repeatedly use his inhaler. Two to three puffs, straight in the mouth. No long slow breathes, no breathe holds. Let's face it, proper inhaler technique would not be good for the fast paced story being told. BUT it gives us a bad role model for proper inhaler technique.

Whether you have mild asthma and need an inhaler to improve your exercise and reduce your congestion and wheezing, or you have serious asthma attacks with bronchial and airway constriction, you need to get the most out of your inhaler.

Dr. Dave Rogers with Alpenglow Family Medicine shows us the best way to use an inhaler, with a spacer, giving us tips on how to use it correctly.

INHALER TECHNIQUE

• Get your spacer
• Shake the inhaler and fit it on the spacer
• ONE PUFF into the spacer
• Breathe out fully first
• SLOWLY breathe in on the spacer
• Hold your breathe for 5 to 10 seconds
• You can add a few sniffs at the end to further expand your lungs
• Breathe out

You can repeat as directed by your prescription and doctor.

Doctor Dave is head of Alpenglow Family Medicine, Direct Primary Care. Have questions? You can reach them through this link.