One of the most important skills you need to learn when you have asthma is how to use an MDI inhaler correctly. MDIs help you receive the right dose of your asthma medicines, whether it's quick relief medicine, or the more long-term controller medicines. Exploring the sections highlighted here will help you master this essential skill.
Understanding Your Medicine: The first step in getting to know your metered dose inhaler is to understand the medicine that it contains. Asthma medicines are divided into 2 types:
- Quick-relief medicines, which are used to treat asthma symptoms that crop up unexpectedly, as well as full-blown asthma attacks
- Controller medicines, which are used daily to prevent asthma symptoms and asthma attacks
Information on asthma medicine options can be found here:
Frequently Asked Questions: If using a metered dose inhaler is new to you (or even if it isn't), you may have a number of questions about it. You'll find the answers to most of those questions here:
- What is a Metered Dose Inhaler?
- Why Should I Use a Metered Dose Inhaler?
- How Do I Use an MDI?
- How Do I Care for My MDI?
- What About Spacers?
- What Are the Safety Precautions for Using a Metered Dose Inhaler?
- Are MDIs Harmful to the Environment?
- How do I Know How Much Medicine Is Left?
- What Is a Breath-Activated MDI?
You might also find it helpful to see how an inhaler works.
Techniques: Now that you have a foundation of knowledge about your MDI, it's time to learn how to use it. The best way for an adult or older child to get the full dose of medicine from an MDI is to use an add-on device for the inhaler called a spacer. But many people are able to use metered dose inhalers without a spacer too.
For children, especially very young ones, a mask may be recommended for use with the inhaler, for greater accuracy.
How to Use an MDI:
A Few More Tips: Here are a few more MDI tips that will help you get the most out of your metered dose inhaler.
- Practice, Practice, Practice!
- Don't Skip the Exhale Step.
- Prime New or Infrequently Used Inhalers.
- Prevent Fungal Growth
- Watch the Heat.
- Know the Difference Between an MDI and a DPI.
More Information From the AARC: The American Association of Respiratory Care (AARC) has launched a new free web-based tutorial to help educate patients about taking their inhalation medications properly. You'll find the AARC tutorial on inhalers at: www.YourLungHealth.org.
They also are offering free public health events where patients can get a checkup from a respiratory therapist and bring their inhalers to review use and technique. Dates and locations of those events and other respiratory health screenings are listed on the AARC Web site at www.aarc.org.
