All About Inhalers

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Your inhaler will continue to spray after all the medication has been used up so that the last 20 to 50 puffs may be firing blanks - propellant with no medication.

It is very important that you note on the canister how many puffs or inhalations of medication are in the container and keep track of how many puffs you have used. Once you have used the number of puffs listed on the canister, all the remaining puffs are without medication and therefore of no benefit to you.

The old trick of floating the canister in water to test for how much medication remains is not reliable.

Remember: Keep track of how many puffs you have used or count ahead and calculate how many days your inhaler will last. This works well for inhalers which have a set dose like 4 puffs, twice daily. Since most inhalers have 200 puffs, at 8 puffs per day, these will last 25 days and then must be replaced. Even if they are still putting out a "puff" when you press down.

Proper use of your Inhalers

Place tubing or spacer on the inhaler.
Shake the inhaler vigorously.
Sit or stand (do not slump).
Blow out air slowly (empty your lungs).
Immediately place the inhaler or spacer in your mouth.
Push down on the canister and slowly breathe in deeply.
Hold your breath 10-15 seconds (or as long as you can comfortably).
Take the inhaler or spacer out of your mouth.
Slowly blow air out.
It is best to wait 3-5 minutes between puffs, and then repeat the procedure as above.

Cleaning procedure for nebulizer tubing and inhaler

Thoroughly wash tubing or canister using warm, mild, soapy water.
Rinse tubing or canister well.
Soak 20 minutes in one part vinegar and four parts water.
Shake excess water from tubing or canister.
Let tubing or canister air dry thoroughly and store in a clean bag.

Note: One tubing may be used throughout the day. Obtain clean tubing each morning. It is very important to follow these cleaning procedures to prevent RE-INFECTING YOUR LUNGS WITH BACTERIA that may grow within the tubing.