* Asthma is present in about 10% of children. * Asthma in children is diagnosed when your child has recurring episodes of wheezing that are relieved by rescue medicine such as albuterol * Asthma in children is treated with the same medicines and treatment...
What is an MDI Spacer and Why Do You Need One?
What is an MDI Spacer and Why Do You Need One?
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* A spacer is needed to hold your asthma medicine in a cloud until you can pull it into your lungs with a deep breath.
* If you don’t use a spacer with your asthma medicine, it ends up on tongue and on the walls of your throat where it can’t help your asthma and usually causes a yeast infection.
* Spacers should be used with all of your asthma medicine that comes in a metered dose inhaler (MDI).
* Medicine administered by a dry powder inhaler does not require a spacer since the design of the inhaler stirs and suspends the dry powder particles so they can be inhaled deeply.
In order for asthma medication to reach the lining of your breathing tubes, it must be suspended in the air you inhale.
Most asthma medication is manufactured in liquid form. It is contained in a pressurized canister called a Metered Dose Inhaler (MDI).
When this canister is triggered, it converts the medication to an aerosol mist.
This mist is inhaled by you to carry the medicine to the lining of your breathing tubes.
For years, you may have been holding your MDI up to your lips while inhaling, believing the medicine is actually getting into your lungs.
Unfortunately, most of the medicine lands on the walls of your mouth, throat and tongue. It cannot help your breathing if it does not get deeper into your breathing tubes.
There is an inexpensive and effective solution to this problem.
It is called a spacer.
A spacer is a tubular chamber that plugs onto the MDI.
On one end it has a mouthpiece or mask, with a built-in valve.
When you trigger the MDI, the spacer holds your medicine suspended as a cloud.
This cloud hangs in the spacer chamber until you inhale from the mouthpiece end.
Because the medicine is suspended, it flows with the air you inhale down into your lungs where we really need to get it.
The valve keeps the “cloud” of medicine in the chamber, permitting it to go ONLY one way, down into your lungs.
Quite often, patients ask if they can use a nebulizer to deliver their asthma medication.
Once they were miniaturized in the 1970’s, nebulizers became quite popular as a way to administer asthma medicine.
They do have many limitations though.
The biggest problem is that they don’t fit in your pocket.
That means when you need your medication, but don’t have a nebulizer, you’ll be in trouble.
Most nebulizers depend on AC or battery power which may not be available to you when you feel your asthma kicking in.
They also require tubing to transmit compressed air to the medicine chamber.
And, there are many parts to keep track of and clean.
In comparison, the spacer is simple, portable, and easily replaced if you lose it.
And, most importantly, research conducted in the past 5 years shows that the amount of medicine reaching your lungs and breathing tubes is higher when you use a spacer than with a nebulizer.
My asthma patients depend on their spacers, both for their rescue medicine and for their controllers.
Where do you get one? A prescription of course!
I will order a spacer for each of my patients using an MDI medication.
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You can get your spacer sent to the pharmacy of your choice after your asthma consultation. Breathe better TODAY!
All Posts
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- NEVER run Out of Asthma Inhaler Medicine!
- Do You Need an Affordable Doctor?
- Asthma Attack Triggers: Keep a Lid On It!
- SMART: Smart and Simple Asthma Care!
- Asthmaniac Uses ePrescriptions for Your Medicine!
- Asthma Rescue Inhalers Are Crucial in Asthma Control!
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Children and Asthma: Different from Adult Asthma?
NEVER run Out of Asthma Inhaler Medicine!
* Finding your inhaler empty when the tightness starts IS NOT A GOOD FEELING! ..You need your rescue inhaler ..When you need it! ..Without it, it is probably a trip to the ER and ..a few days of having messed up breathing. * Asthmaniac delivers quick...
Do You Need an Affordable Doctor?
As with other chronic diseases, affordability is important for Asthma Control
* The cost of asthma control can be a barrier:
* Many costs of asthma care can exceed what those without insurance can afford. These include:
* The cost of asthma medication.
* The cost of doctor visits
* The cost pulmonary function testing.
I endeavor to keep my consults to you AFFORDABLE.
I am constantly looking for the best way to get you medication that fits your budget.
Asthma Attack Triggers: Keep a Lid On It!
Triggers for wheezing (bronchoconstriction) include:
* Pollen
* Dust Mites
* Cockroaches
* Mold
* Pet dander
* Tobacco Smoke
To prevent wheezing, you need to avoid these triggers.
If avoiding them isn’t possible, I can prescribe medicine suppresses the effect of triggers.
SMART: Smart and Simple Asthma Care!
* SMART means: ..simple ..control & ..rescue! SMART therapy stands for Single Maintenance and Reliever Therapy. At Asthmaniac, we the words "maintenance" and "controller" mean the same thing. Likewise, "reliever" and "rescue" are interchangeable....
Asthmaniac Uses ePrescriptions for Your Medicine!
* Electronic prescriptions mean: ..More accuracy in the order, ..More convenience for you, ..No paper to lose, and ..It’s FAST! * Asthmaniac sends all orders for prescription medication to the pharmacy of your choice. Asthma is one disease that...