How to Use a Chamber Spacer
Using a chamber spacer with your metered dose inhaler (MDI) can help improve the delivery of medication to your lungs. It acts as a holding chamber for the medication, allowing you to breathe it in slowly and deeply.
While the exact sequence can vary slightly depending on the specific spacer and inhaler, the core steps for breathing in the medication through the spacer, based on standard practice and your reference, involve the following actions once the inhaler is attached to the spacer and you are ready to inhale.
Steps for Using Your Spacer
Here are the steps for inhaling medication using a chamber spacer, incorporating the details from your reference:
- Position the spacer: Put the end of the spacer between your teeth and close your lips tightly around it to create a seal.
- Adjust your posture: Keep your chin up. This helps open your airway.
- Start inhaling: Start breathing in slowly through your mouth.
- Administer the puff: Spray one puff into the spacer by pressing down on the inhaler.
- Continue inhaling: Keep breathing in slowly. Breathe as deeply as you can to draw the medication from the spacer into your lungs.
These steps focus on the critical breathing and puffing sequence. Typically, you would also prepare the inhaler (if needed), attach it to the spacer, exhale before starting, and potentially hold your breath after inhaling, but the provided reference details the actions from step 1 through 5.
Summary of Key Actions
For quick reference, the core actions from your guide are:
| Step | Action | Detail |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Position Spacer | Mouthpiece between teeth |
| 2 | Seal Mouthpiece | Lips tightly around it |
| 3 | Adjust Head | Chin up |
| 4 | Begin Inhale | Slowly through mouth |
| 5 | Spray Medication | One puff into spacer |
| 6 | Continue Deep Inhale | Slowly, as deeply as possible |
Following these steps helps ensure you get the most effective dose of medication from your inhaler when using a spacer. Always follow the specific instructions provided with your inhaler and spacer device, and consult a healthcare professional or pharmacist if you have any questions.
