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.