What should you know about aerosol therapy for asthma?

Some inhaled medicines provide quick relief by relaxing tightened airway muscles; others control inflammation when taken regularly. The prescribed medicine, device and schedule depend on the person's asthma plan.

A metered-dose inhaler releases a spray that must be coordinated with a slow breath; a spacer can make coordination easier and reduce medicine left in the mouth. Dry-powder devices generally need a firm, deep inhalation. A nebuliser turns liquid medicine into a mist breathed through a mask or mouthpiece.

Asthma commonly presents with wheezing, cough, chest tightness and breathlessness, but symptoms can vary over time. Aerosol therapy treats airway narrowing or inflammation; it does not remove every possible trigger, and a nebuliser is not automatically stronger or more suitable than a handheld inhaler.

Follow the written asthma plan and use only the medicine prescribed for that device. Have a clinician or pharmacist watch your technique because small errors can prevent medicine reaching the lungs. Keep mouthpieces clean and dry as instructed, track remaining doses, and replace damaged equipment.

Rinse the mouth and spit after an inhaled corticosteroid unless your prescriber gives different instructions. If symptoms are recurring, night waking develops, activity becomes harder or quick-relief medicine is needed more often than your plan allows, arrange an asthma review rather than simply increasing treatment yourself.

Call emergency services for severe breathlessness, difficulty speaking because of breathing, blue or grey lips, confusion, exhaustion, collapse, or rapid worsening despite following the emergency steps in the asthma plan. Use the prescribed reliever as directed while help is being arranged.

Seek prompt medical advice if the reliever gives less benefit than usual, symptoms return soon after treatment, or the device cannot be used correctly. Urgency follows the breathing difficulty and response to treatment, not whether a particular symptom is common.

Confirm which inhaler is the controller, which is the reliever, how each should be taken, and what changes activate the urgent part of your plan. Also ask for a device demonstration, whether a spacer is appropriate, how to clean the equipment, and what to do when away from home.