Now let's talk about asthma and Albuterol. Asthma is an extremely frightening problem
to have. When a person has such tight airways that, though they believe they're taking a
breath in, they cannot feel that they're getting enough oxygen. It's extremely scary. And if
you ever wanted to kind of get an idea of what it feels like, try breathing in and out
through a coffee-stir-stick straw. This is about the approximation of what it would feel
like in a severe asthmatic attack. It's extremely scary. Now, let's talk about one of the best
medications to use for an acute asthmatic attack and what to do to use it correctly.
So, Albuterol is one of the first primary medications that's prescribed to someone who
has acute or chronic asthma. Whether it's exercise induced, like the scenario we just
saw, or whether it's from a person that has persistent asthma, it doesn't really matter.
The effect is pretty much the same. Albuterol usually comes in a container that looks something
like this. It may be a different brand name, it might have a slightly different color,
but in most cases it will be in an aerosol type container with an actuator like this.
But, more importantly, we forget about this. This is called a spacer. Now, one of the reasons
I believe that most people don't have them is because, in many cases, they're extremely
expensive. Now, whether that's right or wrong, that's the case, and I think many people,
when they have to pay for them out of their own pocket, they say, "I don't really need
it, I'll just use this." The problem with that is, is that the majority of the medication.
instead of getting inhaled into your lungs and your bronchials, where it's supposed to
go, it ends up in the back of the throat and on the tongue. And therefore it decreases
the full dosage and the effectiveness of that dosage. But, important steps to take when
you have the proper equipment, is to shake your Albuterol prior to using it. You don't
have to shake it for very long, but make sure it's mixed. You should also be sure to have
actuations remaining. If you look on the back of most of these, you'll see a number in that
little window. And it should not be zero, or it should not be zero zero zero. So, also
check the expiration date, make sure it's not expired. Now that we've shaken it up,
we're going to insert it into the actual spacer. Now, and I'm actually prescribed Albuterol,
so I'm only taking what I'm already prescribed to take, I'm going to place the actual spacer
into my mouth. Now I'm going to ahead and push down on the actual container, which will
send Albuterol, as a mist, into this spacer, into a nebulized form. Then, I'm going to
blow out and then inhale and hold my breath for ten seconds, like this: The normal dosage
is two inhalations. So you would repeat it: Go ahead and let your air out. If you do not
feel relief from these two inhalations of Albuterol, you usually are prescribed how
soon you can repeat it. If you're not feeling relief soon, and you're still having difficulty
breathing, it's important to call 9-1-1 and get the ambulance on the way, as you may be
having a persistent asthma attack that will not stop with a simple rescue inhaler of Albuterol.
Don't assume that it's going to get better. Call 9-1-1 and get help on the way in case
you're in a true respiratory emergency.