CEBU, Philippines – The two most common ways of taking asthma medicines are with inhalers and with spacers. It is important to know the difference between the two, in order to choose the one that works best with a patient in trying to keep the condition under control.
Inhalers
Asthma medicines are usually given by inhalers – devices that deliver medication directly into the lungs as the patient breathes in. It is an effective way as most medicine goes straight to the lungs, with very little ending up elsewhere in the body.
Each inhaler works in a slightly different way. The patient or the patient’s attendant should have training from a doctor or asthma nurse in how to use the device or how to help an asthmatic child use it. The device should be checked at least once a year.
Some inhalers are pressurized canisters – similar to a spray deodorant or an air freshener. The inhaler is pressed while the patient is breathing in, so the vapor containing the medication can pass into the lungs.
Other inhalers are not pressurized canisters but contain the medication in dry powder form, usually in a capsule that is punctured when the inhaler is “primed.” It is not possible to use a spacer with this type of inhalers and, unlike pressurized canisters, the powder must be inhaled quickly and forcefully if the medication is to reach the lungs.
Spacers
Pressurized canister inhalers can work better if given through a spacer – a hollow plastic or metal container with a mouthpiece at one end and a hole for the inhaler at the other.
Children under the age of three may have a spacer attached to a face mask rather than a mouthpiece, as this can make it easier for them to breathe in the medicine.
In using a spacer, the vapor from the inhaler is released into the container, where it is held while the patient breathes in slowly and progressively until the lungs are full. They should then hold in thir breath before relaxing so the vapor has time to settle in the lungs.
This can make the medication more effective because much more of it reaches the lungs and much less stays in the mouth or is swallowed, where it has no effect on the lungs but, instead, is more likely to cause unwanted effects.
Spacers are also good for reducing the risk of thrush in the mouth or throat, which can be a side effect of some inhaled asthma preventer medicines.
Spacers can also be very helpful for people who find using inhalers difficult, such as young children. As spacers also improve the distribution of medication into the lungs, their regular use is preferred in many cases – particularly for preventer medications – even in people who use inhalers well. (nhs.uk)