Some may not realise that the inhaler that they use could be putting them at an increased risk of a life-threatening asthma attack. Research by leading charity Asthma + Lung UK has found that as many as one in five people with the condition may be unknowingly using the wrong inhaler.
There are two types of inhaler, say the charity, a reliever inhaler which reduces symptoms and a preventer, which should be used on a daily basis to keep down inflammation and swelling in the airways. The research found that too many people are relying on their reliever inhaler rather than using the preventer on a daily basis.
They say that using a reliever inhaler could put sufferers at an increased risk of hospitalisation - and even death - as their asthma is less likely to be under control. This comes as 75,000 people are hospitalised for asthma every year, with four dying from the condition annually.
The charity looked at more than 8,000 people, and found that if the one in five people they found to be incorrectly medicating was the case across the UK, there could be one million asthma sufferers who could be at higher risk. They have urged people to make sure that they are up to date on proper inhaler practice.
Reliever inhalers are typically blue and you should only need two or so a year according to the charity, however some were found to be using triple that, getting through six or more every year. Asthma + Lung UK say guidelines from the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence around preventer prescription are outdated and need to be updated to highlight how important it is to prescribe a preventer inhaler alongside reliever inhalers.
Paul Wilson, 47, from Beith, has asthma and says that during periods of poor asthma management he was “overmedicating” on his reliever inhaler, and used around one a month. During this time he ended up in hospital on 48 occasions because of his asthma.
He said: “I fell into bad habits with my reliever inhaler. My asthma was just so out of control that I felt myself reaching for my reliever inhaler every day, thinking it was the only thing that would help my symptoms. Looking back, I was just taking a puff and hoping for the best.
"While my reliever inhaler did help in the moment it was only a temporary fix, and I wasn’t giving too much thought to how to manage my asthma in the longer term.”
Paul added: "They said the way I was using my inhaler meant that only 10-20% of the medicine was getting into my lungs. They showed me the correct inhaler technique and gave me a spacer to use, and the difference it has made to my asthma is incredible – I’ve even run marathons which would’ve been unthinkable just a few years ago.”
Paul said his difficulties in looking after his son was the motivation to turn things around, and so far this year he hasn't had to use his reliever inhaler at all. Inspired partly by his own situation and the care that he received, Paul is now on-track to become a nurse.
Dr Andy Whittamore, Clinical Lead at Asthma + Lung UK and a practising GP, says: “It’s vital that people with asthma have access to a preventer inhaler and take it every day, as this keeps the inflammation down in your airways and prevents symptoms.
"You should still take your reliever inhaler when symptoms come on. But if you are needing it three times a week or more, this is a sign of untreated inflammation in your airways and it’s really important you make an appointment with your GP, nurse or pharmacist to discuss your treatment options."
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