How to Use a Metered Dose Inhaler

Asthma and allergies are extremely common with many people these days. A lot of people are prescribed asthma medicines which requires the use of a metered dose inhaler. To get the full effect of your asthma medications from an inhaler, learning to use the metered dose inhaler is essential for proper asthma management.

A metered dose inhaler is a device that contains pressure which helps to give the doses of inhaled medications. So as a result, they do play a big role in treating asthma and also other lung diseases such as COPD.

Your metered dose inhaler as you will notice has a mouthpiece that is attached right to the medicine which is inside a canister. When you push down on your canister of medicine, you inhale the medication correctly. This prevents overdose of medication given which could be very dangerous.

Using your metered dose inhaler requires some instructions and a little getting used to. The basics are:

1. First, take off the cap.

2. You need to hold the inhaler in the correct upright position.

3. The instructions inside with your Albuterol or whatever you're taking will tell you to shake well next.

4. Open your mouth and place the inhaler a couple of inches away.

5. Some people are better off by using a spacer. This is a device where you place your inhaler into the end. You simply depress the end to get your medicine dosage.

6. You need to hold your breath as you press down on the inhaler.

7. Now, you need to breathe in slowly for about 3 to 5 seconds.

8. Once you do step 7, then hold your breath for just a few seconds, making certain that the medicine travels into the lungs where it needs to be.

9. If you are directed by your physician to spray more than once, then wait a minute or so before repeating the above steps all over again.

Many of the spray inhalers like Albuterol contain 200 puffs inside the canister. To keep track of how many puffs you have used, record this in a diary as to how many puffs per day you are taking. This way, when you are close to running out of puffs, you can reorder your medicine.

After using your inhaler each time, don't forget to put the protective plastic cap back on the end. This will keep germs and dust from entering inside the opening.