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Every year in Spain some 16 million inhalers
are dispensed in street pharmacies
.
Drugs that are often essential in the treatment of respiratory diseases in children and adults such as
asthma, bronchiolitis, pneumonia or allergic crises
;
and that are part of the daily treatment of thousands of people with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.
How many people misuse inhalers?
According to data provided by the Medicines Information Center of Catalonia, CedimCat, approximately
50% of patients treated with inhalers do not use them correctly
.
A problem with important consequences on the health of patients.
What can happen if I misuse them?
When the doctor prescribes an inhaler, he calculates the dose based on our state of health, among other things such as weight in the case of children.
That dose should fully reach our lungs
, but misuse of these inhalers means that a part of the drug that should reach our respiratory system is lost,
staying in the mouth or going outside, for example
.
The main consequence will be that
the patient will not improve as expected
.
Another common problem derived from its misuse is the appearance of fungus in the mouth and throat.
What mistakes are made?
The most common errors when using inhalers are two:
not being able to coordinate breathing with the inhalation of the drug
, something that happens in pressurized cartridge inhalers, and
not being able to hold your breath for 5 or 10 seconds
after inhaling the dose. of the drug or forget to do it.
Can inhalation chambers help?
Of course
yes, especially in children, the elderly or people with motor problems
.
These chambers are only used for pressurized cartridge inhalers, but remember that when using this type of drug
it is essential that the patient have good coordination between inhalation
and pulsation of the inhaler.
This is something that occurs relatively frequently in the aforementioned age groups.
How are those cameras?
They can be
purchased at any pharmacy
and their shape is similar to that of a water bottle, but with a hole at each end.
In one of them the mouthpiece of the inhaler is inserted, and in the other we can find a mask that covers the nose and mouth or a mouthpiece for the patient to place his lips around it.
The
dose is trapped inside the chamber
and the patient breathes calmly without requiring any special coordination.
Beware of mushrooms
Every time we use the inhaler we must carry out a series of mouth care to avoid the appearance of fungi.
The most important of these is
to rinse and gargle with drinking water
, all to remove any traces of medication that may have stuck to the walls of the mouth and throat.
Do I have to hold my breath after each inhalation?
That's how it is.
Once the inhalation is done, it is recommended to hold
the breath for about 5 or 10 seconds
, or even a little more if the patient is able to do so.
In this way we will make the most of each dose.
If the doctor has prescribed two doses, that is, two pulsations,
we must wait 30 or 60 seconds between them
, breathing normally.
The importance of body posture (and the inhaler)
Inhalations must always be carried out
with the inhaler in an upright position
, whether it is a dry powder or a pressurized cartridge.
Only then will we ensure that the dose released is correct.
The patient's body posture is also important when inhaling, since we
should never do them lying down in bed
.
We must be
sitting or standing
to allow good expansion of the lungs.
According to the criteria of The Trust Project
Know more
Pharmacology
Respiratory diseases
Saturated Nurse