By ShowMeStepByStepPublished Updated
Based on a video by AbrahamThePharmacist.
About 90% of inhaler users don't use them correctly - which means most of the medicine ends up coating their tongue and throat instead of reaching their lungs. The spacer device fixes the timing problem (you don't have to coordinate the spray with your breath) and pulls more medicine deep into the lungs.
This walkthrough from AbrahamThePharmacist covers the technique your pharmacist wishes everyone knew. The whole sequence takes 30 seconds once you've practiced it. Better technique = better disease control = fewer rescue puffs needed.
A spacer holds the puff in a chamber for a moment so you can breathe it in steadily, instead of having to time your breath to the exact instant you press the canister. More of the medicine reaches your lungs and less of it lands in your mouth and throat.
The whistle means you are inhaling too fast. It is built in as feedback. Slow the breath down until the sound stops, then keep drawing in steadily and deeply for as long as you comfortably can.
About 10 seconds, or as long as is comfortable, then breathe out gently. Holding it gives the medicine time to settle in your airways rather than coming straight back out.
No. Priming is for a brand new inhaler or one that has sat unused, commonly two weeks or more. Your leaflet gives the exact number of priming sprays for your device, since some need two and some need four.
Once a week. Soak it about 15 minutes in warm water with mild soap, rinse, and stand it up to air dry. Do not towel it dry, because rubbing builds static that makes medicine cling to the chamber walls instead of reaching you.
6 steps · about 4 minutes.Check off each step as you go and your progress saves automatically.
Take the cap off the metered dose inhaler and the cap off the spacer device. Quickly look inside both for any foreign objects - lint, dust, or debris that could get inhaled.
Caps left on = no medicine reaches your lungs. It's the most common reason inhalers seem to 'stop working.' Make this a deliberate check, not a glance.
If this is your first time using the inhaler, or you haven't used it in a while (usually 2+ weeks), you need to prime it. Spray it twice into the air, away from your face.
Priming clears stale propellant from the metering chamber so the next dose contains the correct amount of medicine. Check the leaflet - some inhalers need 4 priming sprays. Skipping this step means your first puff is mostly air.
Shake the inhaler vigorously for 5 seconds before each dose. The medicine is suspended in propellant - if you don't mix them by shaking, you get a puff that's mostly propellant with very little active drug.
Same concept as shaking a deodorant or salad dressing before use. One quick rattle isn't enough; commit to a few full seconds of shaking.
Push the inhaler's mouthpiece into the back of the spacer (the universal end cap). Stand or sit upright - slouching reduces lung capacity.
Tilt your head back slightly. Breathe out gently and completely. Wrap your lips around the spacer's mouthpiece without biting down. Hold the inhaler upright (canister pointed up), not sideways - sideways changes the dose.
Just as you start to breathe in, press the canister down once. Continue inhaling slowly and deeply through the spacer for as long as you can.
Remove the spacer from your mouth and hold your breath for 10 seconds (or as long as is comfortable). Then breathe out gently. If you hear a whistling sound during inhalation, you're breathing too fast - slow down. The whistle is the spacer telling you the medicine is escaping past your lungs.
Tip
For kids who can't time the inhale, use the 'tidal breathing' technique instead: press the canister, then breathe in and out normally 3 times through the spacer mouthpiece (or 5 times with a mask).
If your prescription calls for a second puff, wait 30-60 seconds, then repeat steps 3-5 (shake, position, inhale). Replacing the caps after the last dose keeps the spacer and inhaler clean.
Wash the spacer once a week by soaking 15 minutes in warm water with mild soap, rinse, and air-dry vertically. Don't dry with a towel - rubbing creates static that traps medicine on the chamber walls. Replace the spacer every 6-12 months.
Keep going
How to Check Your Blood Pressure at Home Accurately
8 steps · about 7 minutes
As an Amazon Associate we earn from qualifying purchases. Links on this page may be affiliate links - clicking them and buying doesn't change your price, but helps support ShowMeStepByStep.
Sunday How-To
One short email with the week's best step-by-step guides. Free, no spam, unsubscribe anytime.
Test your knowledge
5 questions covering what you just read. No signup, no score saved, and you can stop after this one.
Question 1 of 5
What's the point of using a spacer with your inhaler?
Quick reference
5 questions, answers, and one-line explanations. Tap to expand.
1.What's the point of using a spacer with your inhaler?
Answer: More medicine reaches your lungs and less stays in your mouth
The spacer holds the puff so you can breathe it in slowly instead of losing it in your mouth.
2.When do you need to prime the inhaler?
Answer: On first use or after weeks unused
Priming clears stale propellant so the first real dose carries the correct amount of drug.
3.How long should you shake the inhaler before a dose?
Answer: About five seconds
Five seconds of shaking remixes the drug into the propellant so the puff isn't mostly gas.
4.Right after you inhale the dose slowly and deeply, what comes next?
Answer: Hold your breath about ten seconds
Holding your breath lets the medicine settle into your airways instead of being exhaled.
5.Your dose is two puffs. What do you do between them?
Answer: Wait 30 to 60 seconds, then shake and repeat
A short wait plus another shake makes sure the second puff is a full, well-mixed dose.
Did this work for you?
Curated theme pages that include this tutorial.
Hand-picked next reads based on the one you just finished.
Pick the categories you want to hear about. Weekly digest of new step-by-step tutorials. No spam, easy unsubscribe.
Send me tutorials about
