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Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts


What's Your Inhaler IQ?

By Chris Woolston
CONSUMER HEALTH INTERACTIVE

Using an inhaler seems so simple: You push the button, you breathe in the medicine, you feel better. But are you really getting as much medicine as you need? Many people use their inhalers improperly, making it harder for them to control their asthma. Take this short quiz to see how much you know about these often-misused devices.


1. All metered dose inhalers (the most common type) are essentially the same -- if you've tried one, you've tried them all. True or false?

True
False

2. If you feel the medicine hit your tongue or the back of your throat, you've probably made a mistake. True or false?

True
False

3. How long should you hold your breath after inhaling the medicine?

a. Two seconds
b. Five seconds
c. Ten seconds
d. As long as you can

4. Who should consider using a spacer, a tube that carries the medicine from the inhaler to the mouth?

a. Young children
b. Anyone taking corticosteroids
c. Anyone having trouble using their inhaler
d. All of the above

5. Which of these statements about spacers is FALSE?

a. Spacers help reduce side effects of medications.
b. You should fill the spacer with several blasts before inhaling to get the most medicine possible.
c. Spacers help get more medicine to the lungs.
d. In general, larger spacers work better than smaller spacers.

6. If you're comfortable using a metered-dose inhaler, you'll probably never have to switch. True or false?

True
False

7. All inhalers are used for the same purpose. True or false?

True
False



Last updated Jul 24, 2007


Copyright © Consumer Health Interactive, a CVS Caremark company