Having retired as a respiratory therapist after 42 years, I have used inhalers with patients for most of that time. The major problem that I have witnessed is improper technique when using the inhaler. Most physicians have no idea on proper technique so they tell their patients to seal their lips around the mouthpiece, squirt twice and take a fast deep breath. During an asthma attack, that is what most patients do and they find that they get little, if any, relief.
Proper technique is as follows: Relax as much as possible!
1) shake the inhaler to ensure proper mixture of the contents
2) exhale completely
3) hold the mouthpiece of the inhaler approximately 1 inch (approximately the width of 2 fingers) in front of your open mouth - DO NOT place the inhaler inside your mouth!
4) as you start to S-L-O-W-L-Y inhale, activate the inhaler with one squeeze
5) continue to slowly breathe in until your lungs are full and then hold that breath for 5 to 10 seconds
6) exhale
7) after about a minute, repeat the process.

The biggest problem with the "seal your lips around the mouthpiece and squirt twice" method is that doing so only coats the surface of your mouth and the back of your throat. Then you are trying to take a deep breath with your lips sealed around the mouthpiece - really restrictive! And the results are that you will not get the relief that you are seeking so you will either over use the medication or stop taking it completely. Remember, the medication is in the form of tiny droplets, breathing in slowly will carry those droplets as deep into the lung as possible. The BEST technique would be to ask your physician to order a "spacer" for the Albuterol. It almost completely negates improper technique!

As to the steroidal inhaler, the medication is in the form of a dry powder, so the technique for proper use is different. Seal your lips around the mouthpiece, activate the inhaler and simultaneously take in as fast a breath as possible. Hold that breath for 5 to 10 seconds and exhale. Rinse your mouth after use.

Having retired as a respiratory therapist after 42 years, I have used inhalers with patients for most of that time. The major problem that I have witnessed is improper technique when using the inhaler. Most physicians have no idea on proper technique so they tell their patients to seal their lips around the mouthpiece, squirt twice and take a fast deep breath. During an asthma attack, that is what most patients do and they find that they get little, if any, relief.
Proper technique is as follows: Relax as much as possible!
1) shake the inhaler to ensure proper mixture of the contents
2) exhale completely
3) hold the mouthpiece of the inhaler approximately 1 inch (approximately the width of 2 fingers) in front of your open mouth - DO NOT place the inhaler inside your mouth!
4) as you start to S-L-O-W-L-Y inhale, activate the inhaler with one squeeze
5) continue to slowly breathe in until your lungs are full and then hold that breath for 5 to 10 seconds
6) exhale
7) after about a minute, repeat the process.

The biggest problem with the "seal your lips around the mouthpiece and squirt twice" method is that doing so only coats the surface of your mouth and the back of your throat. Then you are trying to take a deep breath with your lips sealed around the mouthpiece - really restrictive! And the results are that you will not get the relief that you are seeking so you will either over use the medication or stop taking it completely. Remember, the medication is in the form of tiny droplets, breathing in slowly will carry those droplets as deep into the lung as possible. The BEST technique would be to ask your physician to order a "spacer" for the Albuterol. It almost completely negates improper technique!

As to the steroidal inhaler, the medication is in the form of a dry powder, so the technique for proper use is different. Seal your lips around the mouthpiece, activate the inhaler and simultaneously take in as fast a breath as possible. Hold that breath for 5 to 10 seconds and exhale. Rinse your mouth after use.

Having retired as a respiratory therapist after 42 years, I have used inhalers with patients for most of that time. The major problem that I have witnessed is improper technique when using the inhaler. Most physicians have no idea on proper technique so they tell their patients to seal their lips around the mouthpiece, squirt twice and take a fast deep breath. During an asthma attack, that is what most patients do and they find that they get little, if any, relief.
Proper technique is as follows: Relax as much as possible!
1) shake the inhaler to ensure proper mixture of the contents
2) exhale completely
3) hold the mouthpiece of the inhaler approximately 1 inch (approximately the width of 2 fingers) in front of your open mouth - DO NOT place the inhaler inside your mouth!
4) as you start to S-L-O-W-L-Y inhale, activate the inhaler with one squeeze
5) continue to slowly breathe in until your lungs are full and then hold that breath for 5 to 10 seconds
6) exhale
7) after about a minute, repeat the process.

The biggest problem with the "seal your lips around the mouthpiece and squirt twice" method is that doing so only coats the surface of your mouth and the back of your throat. Then you are trying to take a deep breath with your lips sealed around the mouthpiece - really restrictive! And the results are that you will not get the relief that you are seeking so you will either over use the medication or stop taking it completely. Remember, the medication is in the form of tiny droplets, breathing in slowly will carry those droplets as deep into the lung as possible. The BEST technique would be to ask your physician to order a "spacer" for the Albuterol. It almost completely negates improper technique!

As to the steroidal inhaler, the medication is in the form of a dry powder, so the technique for proper use is different. Seal your lips around the mouthpiece, activate the inhaler and simultaneously take in as fast a breath as possible. Hold that breath for 5 to 10 seconds and exhale. Rinse your mouth after use.

Thanks for posting this. I have seen it before long ago and will admit that with the rescue inhaler I have fallen back to the sealed lips most of the time and have to correct from time to time. But I had a lot of years with the wrong method before I learned better. Habits are hard to break.

I have always done the steroid inhaler correctly. And of course the nebulizer is pretty much made to only do one way. Though I have heard of half face and full face masks that attach to a nebulizer.

If you use the nebulizer, whether with any type of mask, only breathe through your mouth. Your nose has 3 functions, to warm, filter and humidify. Any aerosol that is inhaled through your nose will be reduced by these functions. When breathing through your mouth, breathe in slowly until your lungs are filled. Hold that breath for 3 to 5 seconds and then exhale. Should you feel dizzy, lightheaded or have tingling in your fingertips, these are signs of hyperventilation. Before breathing back in, count to 5 to slow your breathing rate down. Since you are breathing deeper and using more of your lungs, you can slow your rate and still get the proper amount of air that you need.

Well it isn't hard for me but I did a few things along the way to be well off in retirement.
1. military service-Regular Army enlistment, not drafted=GI Bill for college (and of course the little matter of a 40% Veteran's disability from Agent Orange exposure)
2. worked in the retail food industry during college and the first several years I was teaching until I reached the level for a minimum pension with them.
3. College degree, teaching credential and a lot of units beyond adding up to 3 more degrees if I had bothered to do the paperwork and take just one more class in 3 fields.
4. Stayed in teaching for 35 years until I hit the top of the pension qualifications plus extra for the "longevity" bonus on my pension - only an advanced degree would get me more and I wasn't in the mood for a PhD.

So I have a top-of-the-line health plan (VA Health Care as a backup), one full pension, two partial pensions and Social Security. My wife is 9 years younger and hasn't put in for her pension or social security yet, another 2 years and she will be qualified for the max on each of those. She was, in order: a. also retail food, it is where we met b. Operating Room Technician c. RN then Surgical RN d. OR Charge Nurse for several years (think of it as the top NCO the surgeons depend on to run the OR for them)

We planned, we got education/qualifications, we stuck to it and now we are comfortable and a bit more.