How to Check Inhalers
About 34 million people in the United States have asthma, and most use some type of inhaler to either prevent or treat their asthma symptoms. It is important for asthmatics to check their inhalers periodically to ensure that it is working properly and still contains medication. It's easy to check or keep track of inhaler usage, whether you have one with or without a built-in meter.
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Instructions
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Remove your inhaler from the bag and box, and tear the pharmacy receipt off the bag or box and keep it in a safe place. Write the date you purchased your inhaler on your calendar. If the inhaler should last a month, write down the proposed date for buying your next inhaler on your calendar. Test the inhaler when you first purchase it: remove the cap, shake it several times and, pressing down on the canister, spray it once. Watch to make sure medication comes out. Store your inhaler in a safe location.
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Record the number of total doses or metered sprays that your inhaler contains. Use a calendar or notebook for your records, or order stickers online from sev.org/members/lmb/about.htm and afix one to the inhaler. Each time you take a puff from your inhaler, record it as one dose or metered spray. Continue to track your usage each day. Subtract the number of doses you use from the total number of doses in the canister, according to Consumermedsafety.org. Reorder your medication when you have about 20 to 30 doses remaining to avoid running out.
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Learn how to read inhalers with meters. Check the numbers of any metered inhaler after each use. Reorder the medication before you run out.
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Tips & Warnings
Most preventive inhalers are used twice per day, so tracking these is relatively easy and they need to be ordered monthly. Watch for the red numbers to appear on metered inhalers, as these numbers represent the last four or five sprays. The biggest challenging is keeping track of the inhalers that you use when you have an actual asthma symptom like shortness of breath. Be sure to establish some system for tracking your usage.
Never shake your inhaler and assume that you have medication remaining when there is still fluid in it. Some of the liquid inside are additives that are used to make the medication. The actual medicine may be gone.
