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Learning to Inhale

© Leigh G. Kirtley

Two months ago, I posted an article called, “Timely Medications,” (Aug 27) that talked about the need to take your medications consistently and tips to help achieve that. Here, finally, is the sequel to that article. Like most of you, I was sidetracked in September and I’m now ready to pick up where I left off.

So…

Taking medications on time is certainly important. HOW you take your medications is equally important. After all, what is the point of diligently following your doctor’s instructions on when and how much medication to take, when you are taking them incorrectly? Pills and liquids are fairly straightforward. You take your pill (or pills) X number of times a day. Your basic concerns are: with or without food; and chew versus swallow. Not too complicated, even for young children.

Inhalers, on the other hand, are a different story. Inhaled improperly, and you may be missing out on all the benefits the medicine can give you. At the worst, you may not get any help or may be setting yourself up for some unforeseen side effects. Therefore, learning to inhale is critical for getting the most out of your meds.

Besides inhaling correctly, you need to keep in mind that not all inhalers are created equally. Thanks to medical and technological advances, there are several types of inhalers that make delivery easy and convenient. The inhalation techniques vary slightly from one form to the other, so I will address each separately, although some general principals apply to each kind.

First, order is important. If you are using more than one inhaler, take the bronchodilator before your maintenance medication. (See “Understanding your Medications” 23 Aug 2000) Most bronchodilators are fast-acting so they will open the airways to allow maximum absorption of your long term, anti-inflammatory (like Flovent™ or Intal™). The key is to give the bronchodilator a few minutes to work before taking the next inhaler. You can apply this same order if you are using a nebulizer, although your doctor may instruct you to mix the two medications and take them at the same time. Check with your physician before doing this.

For nebulizers, the technique is the same regardless of the medication being delivered. Take deep, regular breaths. Sucking the vapor in quickly won’t speed up the process and you may prevent medication from getting completely into the lungs. Try, also, to hold your breath for a few seconds to keep the medication in your lungs a bit longer. This helps with absorption. Of course, if you are having an asthma attack and are using a bronchodilator in your nebulizer, breathing deeply and holding your breath is going to be difficult if not impossible. That’s okay. As the medicine starts to work, you will gradually be able to take longer, deeper breaths in about five to 10 minutes. If not, seek medical attention!

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