Direct effect, lower dosage and fewer side effects: Metered dose aerosols, known colloquially as asthma sprays, mean that active agents are delivered to where they are needed – the lungs. Providing they are used properly with the right technique. Handling errors mean that the necessary dose doesn’t actually reach the lungs. Find out here what is important when using asthma sprays.
The list of medications for inhalation in asthma is so long that you can lose track. First, it is best to divide them into two groups to make them easier to understand.
Controllers are inhaled as a long-term treatment and treat the underlying problem of asthma: the constant readiness of the airways to become inflamed. They are long-acting and are used on a daily basis. As they take a week to take effect, their job is to prevent asthma attacks. If, in consultation with the doctor, the right dose is found, the asthma is considered to be under control.
The task of this emergency spray is to relax the seized muscles and to dilate the bronchi. It is then easier to breathe. Relievers are also called bronchodilators. They take effect within just a few minutes.
With an asthmaspray (metered dose inhaler) a fine mist is created from the medicine after triggering the inhaler. Advantage: You do not have to breathe in strongly which can be difficult for children, the elderly and during an asthma attack. Disadvantage: Breathing in and triggering the spray calls for good coordination and this can especially be a problem for preschool children and the elderly.
With a powder inhaler, the active substance is dispersed in a very fine powder when you take a deep breath in. Advantage: You do not have to coordinate breathing in and triggering the spray. Disadvantage: You need to breathe in strongly to disperse the substance to fine enough powder which children, the elderly and people having an asthma attack can find difficult to do.
Even adult asthmatics who can coordinate perfectly have to practise using an asthma spray properly. You should therefore occasionally get your doctor to check your inhalation technique. For children and the elderly with impairments, it is especially challenging to coordinate breathing in and triggering the spray and so they often get it wrong.
Inhalation with an asthma spray demands good coordination between breathing in and triggering the spray. If this is unsuccessful, most of the medication stays in the mouth and throat and does not reach the lungs.
Controllers (long-term asthma sprays) often contain cortisone. If cortisone reaches the throat, it can cause undesirable side effects in the throat, such as fungal infections (oral thrush) and hoarseness. The dose that reaches the lungs would therefore no longer be enough to keep the asthma under control. This could lead to more frequent attacks.
If too little reliever (emergency spray) reaches the lungs, in the worst case the asthma attack will not be effectively relieved.
With a holding chamber (also called a spacer), the spray is sprayed into a large chamber which allows the user to breathe the treatment in calmly. If necessary, also in several breaths. You no longer need to precisely coordinate breathing in and releasing the spray. This technique circumvents most of the mistakes you may make when inhaling with an asthma spray.
The only disadvantage is that a holding chamber is a little larger than the inhaler and does not fit into every trouser pocket or jacket pocket. It is useful for everyone, but it is not always practical.
Children and the elderly most often have coordination difficulties and so they often make mistakes when using asthma sprays. They are also not usually able to breathe in deep enough to properly use powder inhalers. This is why it is advisable for children and the elderly to use a holding chamber.
Controllers usually contain corticosteroids – also known as cortisone. If the user has difficulty coordinating inhaling while triggering the spray, most of the active ingredient will remain in the throat, where it can cause unpleasant side effects, such as fungal infections.
As long-term asthma sprays are inhaled in a planned schedule and are used preventatively, they do not have to fit into every jacket or trouser pocket. The use of a holding chamber would therefore be beneficial in this case.
The use of asthma sprays or metered dose aerosols requires a lot of practice. Young children, the elderly and people with poor coordination may find them particularly difficult. This means that too little active ingredient enters the lungs. The solution: Children, the elderly and people with poor coordination should use the asthma spray with a suitable holding chamber, such as the VORTEX. Cortisone sprays for asthma (long-term medication) can lead to undesirable side effects if used incorrectly. As inhalation with these medications is easy to plan, the fact that the holding chamber is a little more unwieldy is not a major obstacle. It is therefore beneficial to generally use a holding chamber for long-term asthma sprays.
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