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FunctionalHealth

My inhaler

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How do I use my inhaler right?

Almost 9 in 10 people miss a step.3 Pick your inhaler, and we walk through it together, one step at a time.

Which inhaler do you have?

Not sure? A spray inhaler has a canister you press. A powder inhaler has no spray: your own fast, deep breath releases the medicine.58

Rescue inhaler

Use when you are short of breath. Works in minutes. Needing it twice a week or more with asthma,4 or more than 3 times a week with COPD,7 can mean your condition is not under control. Tell your doctor.

Maintenance inhaler

Use every day, even when you feel fine. It prevents flare-ups. Talk with your doctor before stopping or changing it.

  1. 1Pursed-lip breathing: breathe in through the nose, then breathe out slowly and gently through pursed lips (the technique and how it helps). StatPearls, NCBI Bookshelf
  2. 2Pursed-lip and belly (diaphragmatic) breathing exercises, including the counts: in through the nose about 2 counts, out through pursed lips about 4 counts. American Lung Association
  3. 3About 87% of U.S. patients make at least one error using a metered-dose inhaler. PubMed Central
  4. 4Asthma quick-relief drugs: using them twice a week or more can mean your asthma is not under control. MedlinePlus
  5. 5How to use a metered-dose inhaler, including waiting 1 minute between puffs. National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute
  6. 6Pulmonary rehab: most programs meet 2 to 3 times a week and last 4 to 12 weeks or more. American Thoracic Society
  7. 7COPD quick-relief drugs: needing them more than 3 times a week can mean your COPD is not under control. MedlinePlus
  8. 8How to use a dry powder inhaler, including rinsing your mouth with water and spitting it out after a steroid medicine, and wiping the mouthpiece weekly with a dry cloth, never water. National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute
  9. 9COPD flare-up signs (harder breathing, wheezing, more mucus or a change in mucus color) and signs treated urgently, like blue lips or fingertips, chest pain, trouble speaking full sentences, or feeling sleepy or confused. MedlinePlus
  10. 10Home oxygen equipment care, including replacing your cannula every 2 to 4 weeks. MedlinePlus
  11. 11Oxygen safety: never smoke near oxygen and stay at least 5 feet from open flames. American Lung Association
  12. 12COPD warning signs after a hospital stay that are worth a call to your provider: breathing that is harder or faster than usual, trouble speaking, fever, coughing up dark mucus, blue fingertips, or feeling sleepy or confused. MedlinePlus
  13. 13In people hospitalized for COPD, starting pulmonary rehab early after discharge is linked to living longer (lower 1-year death rate). Lindenauer et al., JAMA 2020
  14. 14Saving energy during daily activities: sit for tasks like folding laundry, breathe out on effort, use a wheeled cart to move things, trade off harder and easier activities with rest, and keep daily items on the counter within reach. American Lung Association
  15. 15How to use a metered-dose inhaler without a spacer, including shaking the inhaler hard 10 to 15 times before each use. MedlinePlus
  16. 16How to use a metered-dose inhaler with a spacer, including that a spacer helps get more medicine into your airways. MedlinePlus