Inhaler Plan

If you have been directed to this page it is because you have been issued a short acting (Blue) reliever inhaler and a corticosteroid (usually brown or maroon) preventor inhaler for your asthma or COPD.

This page summarises a brief plan to help you get the most out of your inhalers when your breathing is controlled, and also what to do if your breathing deteriorates.

IF YOUR BREATHING IS WELL CONTROLLED:

ie

You have no difficulty sleeping because of your symptoms.

You have no symptoms of wheeze, cough or chest tightness day or night.

You can “work & play” without difficulty.

You do not need additional puffs of your asthma inhalers.

In this situation, continue to use your preventor inhaler regularly to stabilise your lungs.  Use the blue reliever inhaler only when needed.

IF Y

IF YOU HAVE INCREASING ASTHMA SYMPTOMS

eg

If over a period of two to three days your asthma is getting worse:

Your asthma is causing you to wake during night-time or early morning.

You are having difficulty at work or play because of your breathing.

You have cough, wheeze, or chest tightness which causes you to need to use your reliever inhaler three times a week or more.

Then in this situation you should use additional puffs of your brown or maroon preventor inhaler.

Depending on how tight your chest feels you can double or treble the usual dosage for a week or more.

Also use the blue reliever inhaler as often as needed, and use it a few minutes before the preventor inhaler – to allow the preventor to have a better deposition in your lungs when used.

If this does not control your symptoms then contact the surgery.

ASTHMA EMERGENCY SIGNS OF AN EMERGENCY

If your main inhaler does not relieve your symptoms or you are having extreme difficulty in breathing or are too breathless to speak in full sentences:

then you can use additional doses of your blue reliever inhaler every two minutes.

You should sit upright and keep calm, but if improvement doesn’t occur within 10 minutes then you should seek urgent medical attention / call 999

NB  If you regularly suffer asthma exacerbations then knowing your Peak Flow Reading can be a useful indicator of when to step up your inhalers. One can be prescribed for you – contact us if you wish this to be issued.

If you are unsure how to use your inhaler properly, please see here:

www.asthma.org.uk/advice/inhalers-medicines-treatments/using-inhalers