The instructions on this page are for general information only. Always follow the directions that come with the specific inhaler you use. Your doctor should teach you how to use the inhaler correctly.
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The instructions on this page are for general information only. Always follow the directions that come with the specific inhaler you use. Your doctor should teach you how to use the inhaler correctly.
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Clean the mouthpiece at least once a week. Rinse in warm water and air-dry on a paper towel.
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Spacers are tubes attached to the metered-dose inhaler (MDI). Spacers actually hold the medicine that is sprayed by the inhaler. This makes it easier to use your MDI and helps to get more of the medicine into your lungs instead of into your mouth or the air. Spacers can be especially helpful to adults and children who find a regular inhaler hard to use. To prevent a yeast infection, people who are currently using corticosteroid inhalers can also use a spacer to help avoid getting the medicine in their mouth.
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Your spacer may need to be replaced periodically, depending on the type. Ask your doctor about replacing your spacer.
Written by Karen Serrano, MD
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Emergency Medicine resident at the University of Wisconsin-Madison.
Reviewed by Lisa V. Suffian, MD
Instructor of Clinical Pediatrics in the Division of Allergy and Pulmonary Medicine at Saint Louis Children's Hospital, Washington University School of Medicine
Assistant Clinical Professor in the Department of Pediatrics at Cardinal Glennon Children's Hospital, Saint Louis University
Board certified in Allergy and Immunology
Last updated June 2008
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