I encounter many patients in my practice with asthma or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), both of which require inhaler medications to manage. Good inhaler technique is crucial to ensure that the medications gets delivered to the lungs properly. Many times, patients reported no improvement in symptoms, only for me to realise that they are not using their inhalers properly. In this article, we shall go through the proper inhaler techniques for the different types of inhalers. We will also learn how to use the spacer, which is used in those who have difficulty using the inhaler alone.

Inhaler Technique Videos

This video covers how to use the aerosol inhaler (0:20), Turbuhaler (1:00), Accuhaler (1:50), spacer with mouthpiece (3:05), spacer with mask (3:45) as well as how to wash the spacer (4:25).

This video covers how to use the Respimat (1:20) and HandiHaler (2:55).

Additional Tips

• Keep your inhalers in a cool and dry place away from direct sunlight.
• Wipe the mouthpiece of regularly with a dry tissue. Do not use water or liquids to wipe.
• If your inhaler contains steroids, rinse or gargle with water after using the inhaler to prevent oral thrush, which is a fungal infection of the mouth.
• You should keep a record of the number of doses you have used up to ensure that you have sufficient amount of this medication before you next doctor’s appointment. Some inhalers will have dose counters.

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