Breathing problems: Using a dry powder inhaler
Introduction
People who have asthma or other lung diseases that make it hard to breathe may use an inhaler to get the medicine they need into their lungs. Inhaled medicine works faster than the same medicine in a pill. An inhaler also lets you take less medicine than you would if you took it as a pill.
You may have used a metered-dose inhaler in the past. But a dry powder inhaler is different. These instructions are for using a dry powder inhaler. If you need information on using a metered-dose inhaler, see:
Key points
- A dry powder inhaler lets you breathe medicine into your lungs quickly.
- A dry powder inhaler is breath-activated. This means that when you breathe in through the inhaler, the inhaler releases the medicine into your lungs.
- Dry powder inhalers come in different shapes and sizes. Some come with the medicine already loaded inside the inhaler. With other inhalers, you have to put in the medicine right before you use it. Your doctor or pharmacist will tell you how to load the medicine into your inhaler.
What is a dry powder inhaler?
Why should I use a dry powder inhaler?
How to use a dry powder inhaler
Where to go from here
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| Author: | Maria G. Essig, MS, ELS Cynthia Tank | Last Updated: May 8, 2008 |
| Medical Review: | Caroline S. Rhoads, MD - Internal Medicine Ken Y. Yoneda, MD - Pulmonology | |
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