January 5th, 2007 by
Corsarius
While searching the Net for more knowledge about asthma inhalers, I came across a couple of articles positing that inhalers and other asthma drugs can cause tooth erosion. Here’s an excerpt from this article:
Some 20 million Americans suffer from asthma, including 6.3 million children, and the various drugs they take — inhalers, syrups and often sugar-coated steroids — are typically taken repeatedly throughout the day. These medications can leave asthmatics with higher levels of enamel erosion and tooth decay, according to recent studies.
From my own experience, I have had relatively well-maintained teeth since childhood, despite using inhalers at least once a day (as of this writing). Read the rest of this entry »
December 12th, 2006 by
Corsarius
I never go out of the house without my asthma inhaler — it’s better to be safe than gasping for air, or worse, dead. However, anybody who has tried tucking their inhaler into their pants’ pocket knows how it can ruin your fashion (”what’s that clunky bulge?!”) and be a literal pain in the thigh (putting it in the back pocket is a no-no), especially for fit jeans.
Well, a friend of mine directed me to a certain Squidoo page on “Puffer Totes”, and look what I found — the Med Ready Puffer Tote Asthma Inhaler Carrier.
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December 8th, 2006 by
Corsarius
In our article about metered-dose inhalers, we said that some people have trouble using asthma puffers, since they have to coordinate the pressing of the inhaler with the inhalation of the medicine. The answer to this is the asthma spacer, also called aerosol-holding chambers, add-on devices, and spacing devices.
A spacer is a plastic or metal tube that slows the delivery of medication from the inhaler, thereby increasing its effectiveness. Spacers fit the inhaler on one end, while the user breathes normally on the other end.
I’ve used an asthma inhaler spacer quite a few times, especially when I was a child. Read the rest of this entry »
December 6th, 2006 by
Corsarius
It’s been quite a while (an understatement) since our last entry — you can attribute that to tons of work. During that period, I feel that my asthma attacks have lessened, thus reducing my need for my asthma inhaler.
Now, that might seem illogical — I just said that I’ve got tons of work, yet my asthma condition has improved. Why so? Isn’t stress supposed to increase the risk of an asthma attack? I’m not so sure myself, but here are a couple of reasons I can think of:
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June 11th, 2006 by
Corsarius
This might be shocking for some asthmatics — yours truly included.
As someone who’s been using metered-dose inhalers for most of my life (beginning with my pediatrician’s prescription way way back), I was kind of dumbfounded to know that I could’ve used, let’s say, a dry powder inhaler just as well!
Read the rest of this entry »
June 8th, 2006 by
Corsarius
In the previous article, we briefly discussed dry powder asthma inhalers, called DPIs for short. Here, we give an overview on how to use them.
Because there are many brands and kinds of dry powder inhalers in the market, there might be specific instructions for using each one. To ensure effective asthma treatment, please consult a medical professional. However, you can still rely on general instructions for using a DPI.
Read the rest of this entry »
June 5th, 2006 by
Corsarius
Several entries ago, we mentioned that there are two kinds of asthma inhalers. We’ve already discussed the first type, the metered-dose inhaler. It’s time you got acquainted with the second type, namely the dry powder inhaler.
Dry powder inhalers (DPIs for short) don’t use chemical propellants to release the medication, unlike metered-dose inhalers (MDIs). DPIs, as their name implies, use finely divided powder that is inhaled by the user more rapidly than he/she would with MDIs. A standard amount of the powder dose must be placed for the user to inhale, and this medication is directly delivered by DPIs into the lungs.
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May 21st, 2006 by
Corsarius
A recent Reuters article suggests that inhalers should not be used to alter the course of asthma in infants and young children.
Come to think about it, my first use of an asthma inhaler came when I was about eight years old (or at least, that’s what I remember); my pediatrician advised other forms of treatment when the illness surfaced years earlier.
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May 19th, 2006 by
Corsarius
In the previous entry, we described asthma metered-dose inhalers (MDIs) in detail. But how do we exactly use these devices?
Basically, one needs to follow these steps:
1. Shake the asthma inhaler well. Some sources say that this goes after removing the cap; others say that shaking goes before. Consult your general practitioner for a third opinion.
2. Exhale.
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May 18th, 2006 by
Corsarius
As we mentioned in our first inhaler article, there are two kinds of asthma inhalers. The first category is the metered-dose inhaler, called MDI for short. MDIs are one of the most common devices used to relieve asthma.
According to a WebMD article:
A metered-dose inhaler (MDI) is a handheld device that delivers a measured dose of medication directly to the lungs. The medication is usually in an aerosol form.
Read the rest of this entry »
