Metered Dose Inhaler (MDI)

Metered Dose Inhaler (MDI)

Some asthma medicine is breathed in through a sprayer called metered-dose inhaler (MDI). The metered-dose inhaler sprays out a fixed amount of medicine whenever you push down the canister of medicine,

Using a Metered Dose Inhaler

  • Shake the canister to mix up the medicine.
  • Tilt your head back a little.
  • Hold the mouthpiece 2-3 finger widths away from your lip. If this is hard to do, you can attach a spacer. The spacer holds the medicine in its chamber (space) until you can breathe it in, one end of the spacer attaches to your inhaler, and you put your lips around the other end of the spacer.
  • Blow out all the way.
  • Push down on the MDI to release one puff of medicine while you are slowly breathing in.
  • Keep breathing in all the way.
  • Hold your breath for 5-10 seconds so the medicine can reach your lungs.
  • Slowly breathe out.
  • Repeat puffs as directed by your doctor. Wait one minute between puffs.

Cleaning your Inhaler

  • Clean the inhaler and cap once a day by running it under warm water.
  • Let it dry before you use it again.
  • Twice a week, wash the plastic mouthpiece with mild dish soap and warm water.
  • Rinse and dry before reconnecting it.

Checking your Inhaler to see how much Medicine is left in the Canister
It’s important to have medicine in your inhaler when you need it.
To check the amount of medicine left in your inhaler, take your inhaler canister out of its holder and put it in a container of water.

  1. If the canister floats on top of the water, it is nearly empty of medicine,
  2. If the canister floats half out of the water and half under the water, it is half full.
  3. If the canister floats all the way under the water, it is full of medicine.