Qvar Inhaler

What is Asthma?

Asthma is a long-term lung condition that affects 5.4 million people in the UK, that’s one in every 12 adults and one in every 11 children. 

Asthma sufferers  experience symptoms such as wheezing, breathlessness and coughing, they often feel tight chested. Increased mucus production within the lungs is also a common side effect. This occurs because of inflammation in the airways, causing them to tighten.

How to manage your Asthma?

Ensuring you use your preventative inhaler everyday as shown by your healthcare professional is key to managing your Asthma and ensuring asthma attacks aren’t a common occurrence. Attacks are where the chest tightness causing difficulty breathing and is not easily reversed by using a reliever inhaler.

Make sure your reliever inhaler is always on hand in case of any increase in symptoms, if you find you are using this inhaler more than three times in a week that is a sign your Asthma is getting worse and a review with your GP or Asthma Nurse is advised.

To prevent dry mouth, hoarseness, and oral yeast infections from developing, gargle, rinse your mouth with water and spit out after each use. Do not swallow the rinse water.

1. To remove the mouthpiece cover, hold between the thumb and forefinger, squeeze gently and pull apart as shown.
Check inside and outside to make sure that the mouthpiece is clean, and that there are no foreign objects.
Testing Your Inhaler: If the inhaler is new or if it has not been used for three days or more, one puff should be released into the air to make sure that it works.
If you are testing your inhaler for the first time, 200 should be displayed on the dose indicator.

2. Hold the inhaler upright as shown, with your thumb on the base, below the mouthpiece.
Breathe out as far as is comfortable.

3. Place the mouthpiece in your mouth between your teeth and close your lips around it but do not bite it.

4. Just after starting to breathe in through your mouth press down on the top of the inhaler to release a puff while still breathing in steadily and deeply

5. Hold your breath; take the inhaler from your mouth and your finger from the top of the inhaler.
Continue holding your breath for a few seconds or as long as is comfortable. Breathe out slowly.

6. If you are to take another puff, keep the inhaler upright and wait about half a minute before repeating steps 2 to 5.

7. After use always replace the mouthpiece cover to keep out dust and fluff. Replace firmly, snap into position and check the dose indicator.

Important: Do not rush steps 2, 3, 4 and 5.

It is important that you start to breathe in as slowly as possible just before operating the inhaler. Practice in front of a mirror for the first few times.

Get emergency medical help if you have signs of an allergic reaction: hives; difficult breathing; swelling of your face, lips, tongue, or throat.

Call your doctor at once if you have:

• wheezing, choking, or other breathing problems after using this medicine;
• worsening asthma symptoms;
• white patches or sores inside your mouth or on your lips;
• blurred vision, tunnel vision, eye pain, or seeing halos around lights;
• signs of infection--fever, chills, body aches, vomiting;
• signs of low adrenal gland hormones--worsening tiredness, lack of energy, weakness, feeling light-headed, nausea, vomiting; or
• increased adrenal gland hormones--hunger, weight gain, swelling, skin discoloration, slow wound healing, sweating, acne, increased body hair, tiredness, mood changes, muscle weakness, missed menstrual periods, sexual changes.

Common side effects may include:

• a yeast infection in the mouth;
• sinus pain, irritation in your nose; or
• cold symptoms such as stuffy nose, sneezing, sore throat.