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Today is World Asthma Day and the National Asthma Council Australia is calling on the two million Australians who suffer from asthma to brush up their inhaler technique following reports that up to 90 per cent of patients who use inhalers do not use their inhalers (puffers) correctly.
According to the National Asthma Council Australia, inhaler misuse results in poor medication delivery, which in turn can lead to reduced quality of life, more frequent and longer hospital stays and poor control of the symptoms of asthma, wheeze, cough and breathlessness.
Whilst Inhaler misuse is rife amongst all age groups, it is particularly concerning amongst older Australians, who are most at risk of dying from chronic respiratory conditions like asthma.
"Most people who use an inhaler aren't doing it properly. They may never have been shown the correct technique in the first place or they may not have regular usage reviews with their GP or pharmacist, which means poor technique becomes a bad habit," explained Kristine Whorlow, National Asthma Council Australia Chief Executive Officer.
Common problems include not shaking a puffer between each dose; not holding some inhalers at the right angle when loading a dose; and, putting multiple doses into a spacer, rather than inhaling each individual dose one at a time.
"Older Australians are particularly prone to problems with inhaler use due to lack of dexterity and sometimes just poor training in the first place," Kristine Whorlow said.
"Anyone of any age who uses an inhaler should ask their GP or pharmacist to demonstrate how to use it and they should regularly ask a health professional to double check their technique to ensure that no bad habits have crept in."
The theme of World Asthma Day this year is ‘you can control your asthma' and the best way to control asthma is with prescribed medication, usually preventer and reliever medications delivered by inhalers or puffers.
"A chronic respiratory disease, like asthma, can't be cured but it can be controlled," Kristine Whorlow said.
"World Asthma Day provides an important reminder for people around the world to really consider if they are in control of their condition and it's a good prompt for people with asthma to visit their doctor or pharmacist for their annual review."
Simple step-by-step inhaler usage film clips are available on the National Asthma Council Australia website: http://www.nationalasthma.org.au/
All six main types of asthma inhalers currently on the market in Australia are highlighted in the film clips which provide patients with clear usage demonstrations and instructions.
For further information, please contact:
Kelly Ward:
Mob. 0407 860 834
Resources
Using your inhaler (http://www.nationalasthma.org.au/content/view/548/984/)
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