For many years the treatment of asthma has benefited from the use of meter dose inhalers (MDIs). These inhalers have provided an effective means to deliver medications (bronchodilators) that help the lungs to open up and relieve the symptoms of asthma and medications that actually treat the inflammation underlying asthma disease (inhaled corticosteroids). (It has always been important for patients to be instructed in the proper use of these devices to enable effective delivery of medication.) All MDI devices have operated very much in the same way, but all of this is changing.
The necessity for change comes about from the concern about the ozone layer. "Our ozone layer? What does that have to do with my asthma medications?" Years ago it was discovered that chemicals called chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) where damaging to the earth's ozone layer. CFCs are widely used in many applications, and interestingly they are also found as the major propellant in asthma inhalers. With environmental quality being an important concern, legal bans on several types of propellants are restricting the use of CFCs. Although not yet banned from asthma inhalers, the makers of asthma inhalers are being encouraged to develop new means of medication delivery.
What Do You Need to Know?
In response to this, some manufacturers are indeed formulating some of the new medications (both bronchodilators and inhaled corticosteroids) in alternative dosage forms with new types of administration devices. What this means to the asthmatic is that the way you have used your inhalers in the past may not be the correct way to use the newer devices. Many of the new formulations are developed in a micronized dry powder formulation for inhalation. Whereas you were once encouraged to slowly inhale many of the formulations, many of these new powdered forms now require rapid inhalation to effectively put the medication where it needs to be.
The bottom line is to become educated about your asthma medications. Be sure you know the purpose of your medications and how to use them. If you have any questions, be sure to ask your healthcare providers. They can help you become well educated about your asthma medications in order for you to control your asthma so it won't control you. |
