1. Medicine Delivery Anywhere, Anytime
Metered dose inhalers (MDI), also known as puffers, are inhalers used to deliver certain medicines to your lungs. These inhalers consist of a canister with pressurized medicine in it and a mouthpiece to make taking the medicine convenient.
2. Empty Then Fill Your Lungs
Begin by blowing out as much air as you can to empty your lungs. Put the inhaler's mouthpiece up to your mouth, and press down on the canister, which releases the medicine. At the same time, breathe in until your lungs are full. Hold your breath for 10 seconds in order to get the medicine into your lungs. If you have to take more than one puff, wait a minute or more between puffs to allow the second puff to work.
3. Spacers Deliver Medicine Properly
Spacers are small pieces of medical equipment that go between the inhaler and your mouth. These spacers are extremely helpful for young children and older adults who can't master the timing of breathing in the medicine. Spacers are chambers that hold the medicine inside, allowing the patient to breathe in and out and ensuring they take all the medicine delivered.
4. Talk to Your Doctor
A metered dose inhaler (MDI) treats chronic lung conditions. These conditions include asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), emphysema and other respiratory issues. These medicines are only available by prescription, so talk to your doctor if you think they would fit in well with your treatment plan.
5. The Earlier You Refill, the Better
Metered dose inhalers have enough medication loaded in them for a specific number of puffs. In order to know when to refill your metered dose inhaler, use a simple mathematical formula to help you. Start with a brand new canister and read the box or the insert to determine how many doses are in it. Divide that total by how many puffs you take a day; the result is how long in days you have between refills. Make sure to refill your prescription a week--or at least a few days--before it is supposed to run out to ensure there is no lapse in treatment. With emergency, or rescue, inhalers, you do not have a static number of uses per day. In this case, you should have your doctor write your prescription for two inhalers. When one runs out, you already have a replacement on hand, and you can get the refill to replenish the backup.
Member Comments