Table of contents:
- Tips for choosing an inhaler for children
- 1. Type of inhaler
- 2. Age of children
- 3. Doctor's approval
Asthma that attacks children will cause wheezing, coughing, shortness of breath accompanied by pain in the chest. To treat it, the child needs to get medicine to expand the airway so that he can breathe normally. Usually the drug will be given through the help of a device called an inhaler. In order not to choose the wrong inhaler for children, follow the steps below.
Tips for choosing an inhaler for children
An inhaler is not a drug, but a device that functions to deliver drugs directly to the lungs. This tool is usually used by patients with asthma or COPD (chronic obstructive pulmonary disease).
Based on the journal Primary Care Respiration Medicine, the choice and how to use the wrong inhaler is one of the causes of asthma treatment not working well. Therefore, patients must find the right inhaler and know how to use it properly.
Unfortunately, choosing an inhaler, for both children and adults, is not an easy matter. You need to take into account the age, drugs used, the flow rate of breathing, the ease and desires of the patient.
So that you don't choose the wrong choice, you can follow the steps below.
1. Type of inhaler
There are two types of inhalers for asthma, viz metered-dose inhalers (MDI) and dry powdered inhalers (DPI). The MDI type consists of a tube filled with a liquid medicine that is pressed into a plastic funnel to be inhaled.
This tool is equipped with a gauge to prevent too much drug dosage. Some are equipped spacer, that is, an additional device that increases the rate at which the drug reaches the lungs.
Most MDI inhalers do not spacer reaching only the back of the throat, not reaching the airway below.
Unlike the compressed and inhaled MDI inhalers, the DPI inhalers are used quickly and strongly. This type of inhaler also uses a dry powder form.
You can choose this inhaler for older children who are able to take deep breaths. If it is given to a child who is too young, it is likely that he will not inhale while using it, but exhale.
2. Age of children
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Choosing an inhaler for children must be adjusted according to their age. According to the Guidelines For Nurse page, children under the age of 5 who suffer from chronic asthma can choose an MDI type inhaler.
However, when used, complete it with a spacer system and oxygen hood to make it easier. Teach and train children to use this inhaler and device spacer correctly.
Meanwhile, children aged 5 years and over can use both MDI and DPI inhalers. Adjust to the child's desire and ability to use the inhaler.
3. Doctor's approval
Before making a choice on a certain type of inhaler, don't forget to consult your doctor first. The doctor will provide recommendations for an inhaler that is suitable for your little one. The doctor will also give you more clear instructions for drug doses, how to use the inhaler, and treatment.
In addition to being careful in choosing an inhaler for children, the period of use of the inhaler must also be according to the doctor's orders. If your child's asthma improves and you stop the inhaler medication unilaterally, the asthma can come back and get worse.
Make sure you stop treatment when your doctor has recommended it.
Don't forget to check your child's health regularly to the doctor. The goal is to determine the development of drugs and the effectiveness of inhalers in helping control asthma symptoms that occur in your little one.
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