Are you using your Flexhaler® correctly? (Dry Powder Inhaler - DPI) Let's talk about this!

Has your doctor prescribed you a new type of inhaler for a breathing problem like asthma ? Maybe it's a little different from the "puffer" you've been using for so long. It's called the Flexhaler®. Although using it may seem a little confusing at first, it's actually quite easy once you get the hang of it. So today, let's talk about how to use the Flexhaler® properly.

First of all, what is a Dry Powder Inhaler (DPI)?

Simply put, some asthma medications come in a dry powder form, rather than a liquid. The small device used to deliver this medication into the lungs is called a Dry Powder Inhaler , or DPI for short.

The biggest difference here is that, unlike the regular inhaler (puffer) you've been using for so long, this one doesn't automatically release the medicine with a single push. Instead, the speed and force of your inhalation pulls the medicine powder into your lungs. So it's very important to breathe in deeply, forcefully, and continuously when using this.

Let's learn a little more about Flexhaler®.

Flexhaler® is a special type of inhaler that belongs to the DPI class. It contains the drug Budesonide . Your doctor may have given you this under the brand name Pulmicort® . It usually contains 60 or 120 doses of the drug.

You will see a small window under the mouthpiece. That is the dose counter .One. It's marked with 10 out of 10 digits. This counter doesn't change once you take a single dose. So don't worry. Usually, you'll see the counter move forward a little after you've taken about 5 doses.

How do I prepare a new Flexhaler® for first use?

Okay, now you're going to use a brand new Flexhaler®. Before you start using it, we need to do a little thing. This is called 'priming' . Remember, you only need to do this the first time you get a new inhaler. You don't need to do it every time after that.

• Step 1: Hold the inhaler upright with the brown part (grip) underneath.
• Step 2: Twist off the white cap on top and remove.
• Step 3: Now hold the inhaler in the middle and twist the brown part at the bottom to one side as far as it will go. Then twist it all the way back to the other side until you hear a “click.” It doesn’t matter whether you twist to the right or left first.
• Step 4: Repeat the same process again, i.e. step 3. Twist one way, then twist the other way until you hear a “click”.

Your new Flexhaler® is now primed. This means it is now fully ready to load a dose of medication and use.

How do you load a dose of medicine and inhale it correctly?

This is the most important part. It is very important to follow these steps in order for the medicine to reach the lungs properly. Let's look at this in a table to make it easier to understand.

Very important thing!

If your doctor has told you to take more than one dose, repeat steps (1 to 6) above for the prescribed number of doses.

There's something that needs to be done after all this.That is, rinse your mouth thoroughly with water, gargle, and throw the water away. Do not swallow the water after rinsing your mouth. This is very important. Because this is a steroid medication, if a small amount of the medication remains in the mouth or throat, it can cause oral thrush over time. We always rinse our mouths to prevent that.

How to care for Flexhaler®?

For your inhaler to work properly, you need to take good care of it.

• Always store at room temperature, in a dry place . Do not store in high humidity areas like the bathroom.
• Never put it in water or wash it with water.
• Do not shake the inhaler after loading it. Also, do not breathe into the inhaler.
• There is no need to use a spacer device with Flexhaler®.

If you are still not clear about this or have any doubts, never hesitate to ask. Ask your doctor or clinic again to confirm this for sure.