Video:Teach a Child to Use an Inhaler

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Transcript:Teach a Child to Use an Inhaler

Hi, my name is Dr. Paul Ehrlich, and I'm board certified in pediatrics and allergy and I'm here for about.com.

Why Children Use Inhalers

When a child has bronchial asthma, he or she may have difficulty breathing and needs to take something right away to make the breathing easier. Inhalers help dilate the bronchial tubes and allow air to get in more easily.

Teach the Child to Use an Inhaler

It's very easy for a child to learn how to use the inhaler. The way inhalers are used we shake it up, and Beth is going to show you how to do it because I know Beth knows how to do it. The first thing you do after shaking it up is take a deep breath, and then blow out. And then put that straight in your mouth and look straight ahead and take a deep breath and while you're breathing in squeeze it. Deep breath in. and hold it, hold, hold it, Beth for about 10 seconds, and now blow out. Perfect.

Child Inhaler Demo

We're just going to shake this up, ok, you hold onto it, look straight ahead. First blow out, put it in your mouth, take a deep breath in, and as you're breathing in, squeeze. Good, good, good, good…hold it, hold it, hold it. Ten seconds and you're done and blow out. Excellent.

It's very easy for a child to learn how to use the inhaler and once he or she has learned how to use it once, they should be able to do it every single time.

Thanks for watching and to learn more, visit us on the Web at About.com.