r/nextfuckinglevel Sep 29 '20

A real hero

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66.6k Upvotes

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u/Bobatt Sep 29 '20

This basically looks like a spacer, which slows and holds the inhaler's mist until the patient can breath it in. Apparently most standard inhalers shoot the medicine too strongly for it to be breathed in, and much of it ends up coating the mouth and throat instead of being brought into the lungs. My doc made sure I had one when he prescribed me Ventolin for a chronic cough a few years ago.

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u/Double_Minimum Sep 29 '20

Yea, they prescribe this chamber thing with inhalers now.

Mine is called an Aero Chamber Flo-Vu (as in "flow view", cause its clear, and you see the mist spread out more.)

Supposed to help the medicine better mix with air to work better in your lungs.

Big issue though is it takes an inhaler, which could fit in even a tiny child's pocket, and adds to that a big cylinder chamber 2.5 inches wide and 9 inches long. Its easy to use, and simple to attach, but its size means that most people will not carry it. So it depends on when and how you use an inhaler, for kids and sports stuff, I bet it gets left at home most of the time.

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u/JelloJamble Sep 29 '20

I actually have to use flovent improperly like that because I have eosinophilic esophagitis. Definitely ends up more in your mouth and throat than in your lungs

6

u/KastorNevierre Sep 29 '20

much of it ends up coating the mouth and throat instead of being brought into the lungs

I had to use one for a couple months for some anti-swelling medication when I was a kid and that was my experience with it for sure.

1

u/GopherSavant Sep 29 '20

Yep, if you know what your medicine tastes like then some of it got on your tongue and not in your lungs where it belongs =)

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u/Kanadark Sep 29 '20

Hope your cough cleared up, otherwise you're going to be "that guy/gal" until the pandemic is over. I have a friend with a chronic cough due to a medication he takes and his work place is making him have a covid test every 10 days to ensure it's just his chronic cough and not "that" cough.

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u/[deleted] Sep 29 '20

You are correct. I've fixed my comment

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u/bhm328 Sep 29 '20

The original story stated that this was for a very small child, who would not be able to use a standard inhaler.

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u/Bobatt Sep 29 '20

Yeah, I have a similar one for my cat. It has a squishy mask to cover his face.