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This page/column contains information which may be of interest to consumers. The information is based on articles which appear in Australian Prescriber. As Australian Prescriber is written for health professionals, you should discuss any issues raised by this page/column with your doctor or pharmacist. They will be able to give a more detailed answer to your questions by reading the main article.

Australian Prescriber is unable to comment on individual cases or give second opinions.

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Australian Prescriber Vol. 26 No. 1 2003

Delivering inhaled asthma therapy

Patients with asthma should have a plan to help them manage their condition. Regular medication may be needed.

Most people are treated with medicines they can breathe into their lungs. Often the medicine is given as a spray from an inhaler. Breathing in at the same time as spraying the medicine can be tricky. It may be impossible for some old people and children. There are ways to make taking asthma medication easier.

One way is to take the medication in the form of a dry powder. This is more environmentally-friendly than the inhalers which contain CFCs (chlorofluorocarbons). However, inhalers containing CFCs are being phased out. One problem with breathing in dry powder is that some people are unsure if they took a dose. It does not make a noise or feel the same as a spray from an inhaler.

Another way to take the medication is to spray it from an inhaler into a plastic bubble called a spacer. The patient then breathes in and out of the spacer to take their medicine.

Nebulisers are popular machines for giving asthma medicine. However, they cost more and do not work any better than a spacer. Spacers do not break down, but they do need to be kept clean. When washing a spacer use only warm soapy water, do not rinse, just leave it to drain. Do not use a towel to dry it. Rubbing the plastic may cause static electricity which can make the spacer not work as well as usual.

If you are given a medicine for asthma ask your doctor or pharmacist to check that you are taking it the right way.