Advertise on podcast: Asthmaniac: Bringing patients the facts of asthma control.

What is an MDI Spacer and Why Do You Need One? * A spacer is needed to hold your asthma medicine in a cloud until you can pull it into your lungs with a deep breath. * If you don’t use a spacer with your asthma medicine, it ends up on tongue and on the walls of your throat where it can’t help your asthma and usually causes a yeast infection. * Spacers should be used with all of your asthma medicine that comes in a metered dose inhaler (MDI). * Medicine administered by a dry powder inhaler does not require a spacer since the design of the inhaler stirs and suspends the dry powder particles so they can be inhaled deeply.   In order for asthma medication to reach the lining of your breathing tubes, it must be suspended in the air you inhale.   Most asthma medication is manufactured in liquid form.  It is contained in a pressurized canister called a Metered Dose Inhaler (MDI).   When this canister is triggered, it converts the medication to an aerosol mist.   This mist is inhaled by you to carry the medicine to the lining of your breathing tubes. For years, you may have been holding your MDI up to your lips while inhaling, believing the medicine is actually getting into your lungs.   Unfortunately, most of the medicine lands on the walls of your mouth, throat and tongue.  It cannot help your breathing if it does not get deeper into your breathing tubes. There is an inexpensive and effective solution to this problem. It is called a spacer. A spacer is a tubular chamber that plugs onto the MDI.   On one end it has a mouthpiece or mask, with a built-in valve.  When you trigger the MDI, the spacer holds your medicine suspended as a cloud.  This cloud hangs in the spacer chamber until you inhale from the mouthpiece end.   Because the medicine is suspended, it flows with the air you inhale down into your lungs where we really need to get it.  The valve keeps the “cloud” of medicine in the chamber, permitting it to go ONLY one way, down into your lungs. Quite often, patients ask if they can use a nebulizer to deliver their asthma medication.   Once they were miniaturized in the 1970’s, nebulizers became quite popular as a way to administer asthma medicine.   They do have many limitations though.   The biggest problem is that they don’t fit in your pocket.   That means when you need your medication, but don’t have a nebulizer, you’ll be in trouble. Most nebulizers depend on AC or battery power which may not be available to you when you feel your asthma kicking in.   They also require tubing to transmit compressed air to the medicine chamber.   And, there are many parts to keep track of and clean. In comparison, the spacer is simple, portable, and easily replaced if you lose it. And, most importantly, research conducted in the past 5 years shows that the amount of medicine reaching your lungs and breathing tubes is higher when you use a spacer than with a nebulizer. My asthma patients depend on their spacers, both for their rescue medicine and for their controllers. Where do you get one?  A prescription of course! I will order a spacer for each of my patients using an MDI medication. #asthmacontrolnow #telemedicineasthmacare #backpocketasthmadoc #asthmaactionplan #asthmacontroltest #asthmacontroller #rescueinhaler #asthmacovid19 #childrenandasthma #eprescription #easthma #peakexpiratoryflow #peakflowmeter #asthmaniac You can get your spacer sent to the pharmacy of your choice after your asthma consultation.  Breathe better TODAY! Get Your Spacer! All Posts What is an MDI Spacer and Why Do You Need One?Do You Need an Asthma Controller Medication?Asthmaniac Uses ePrescriptions for Your Medicine!Asthma Rescue Inhalers Are Crucial in Asthma Control!Asthmaniac BlogNEVER run Out of Asthma Inhaler Medicine!Navigating Asthmaniac.com!Asthma and COVID19Steroids in Asthma: Why We Need Them?Children and Asthma: Different from Adult Asthma?Asthma Action Plan: Personalized Just For You!Phone Doctor Visits: They Work For Asthma Control!Peak Expiratory Flow Rate: How We Measure and Why?Asthma Control Test Score: How We Use ItAsthma Follow Up Care: Why You Need It!High-Deductible Health Plan? Online Asthma Is Perfect!No Insurance? Asthmaniac Will Help You!Is Your Asthma e-Asthma? New Medicine!Do You Need an Affordable Doctor?Asthma Attack Triggers: Keep a Lid On It!SMART: Smart and Simple Asthma Care!Asthma House Cleaning TipsCan Asthma Be Cured Permanently?How to Create an Asthma Action Plan for School StudentsAsthma Primary Care Online!Asthma Management Guidelines 2020 Focused Update: What’s In It For You? Viral Induced Wheezing in Infants and Children Dec 24, 2025 | Asthma Symptoms, Resources for Asthma Patients, symptoms Viral-Induced Wheezing in Infants and Children When Wheezing Is Not Asthma If your baby or toddler has ever had a bad cold that turned into noisy breathing or wheezing, you’re not alone—and you’re not doing anything wrong. Wheezing in infants is common,... SMART: The Best Strategy for Control and Rescue! Oct 12, 2025 | Action Plan, Control Your Asthma!, controllers, PEF, symptoms SMART Therapy: A Smarter Way to Manage Your Asthma If you’re living with asthma, you know it’s more than just “a little wheeze.” It can disrupt your sleep, slow you down, and—at its worst—land you in the ER. That’s why it’s so important to find the right... What is an MDI Spacer and Why Do You Need One? Oct 12, 2025 | spacer * A spacer is needed to hold your asthma medicine in a cloud until you can pull it into your lungs with a deep breath. * If you don’t use a spacer with your asthma medicine, it ends up on tongue and on the walls of your throat where it can’t help your asthma and usually causes a yeast infection. * Spacers should be used with all of your asthma medicine that comes in a metered dose inhaler (MDI). * Medicine administered by a dry powder inhaler does not require a spacer since the design of the inhaler stirs and suspends the dry powder particles so they can be inhaled deeply. Do You Need an Asthma Controller Medication? Oct 12, 2025 | controllers * Asthma controllers are medications that “control” the underlying inflammation in your breathing tubes. * Inhaled corticosteroids are the most common type of medicine used for this purpose. * In order for corticosteroids to work, they have to be inhaled... Asthmaniac Uses ePrescriptions for Your Medicine! Oct 12, 2025 | Action Plan, Control Your Asthma!, PEF, symptoms * Electronic prescriptions mean: ..More accuracy in the order,  ..More convenience for you, ..No paper to lose, and ..It’s FAST! * Asthmaniac sends all orders for prescription medication to the pharmacy of your choice.   Asthma is one disease that... Asthma Rescue Inhalers Are Crucial in Asthma Control! Oct 12, 2025 | rescue What is a Rescue Inhaler? * Rescue inhalers are an essential tool in responding to your asthma! * The albuterol in rescue inhalers opens breathing tubes quickly. * If it doesn’t quickly improve your breathing, go to the ER. * A spacer should be used with... « Older Entries

* Asthma controllers are medications that “control” the underlying inflammation in your breathing tubes. * Inhaled corticosteroids are the most common type of medicine used for this purpose. * In order for corticosteroids to work, they have to be inhaled deep into the breathing tubes twice daily. * A new class of drugs has been developed to control inflammation: they are called biologics and are injected weekly or monthly into the skin of your abdomen.

* Electronic prescriptions mean: ..More accuracy in the order,  ..More convenience for you, ..No paper to lose, and ..It’s FAST! * Asthmaniac sends all orders for prescription medication to the pharmacy of your choice.

* Rescue inhalers are essential! * The albuterol in rescue inhalers opens breathing tubes quickly * If it doesn’t quickly improve your breathing, go to the ER * A spacer should be used with all liquid medicine inhalers * Generic albuterol is now available for about $22 per inhaler

What is Asthmaniac and why do you need it?  I'm Dr. Tim Ryschon and I have an asthma solution for you. * asthmaniac.com is my online asthma clinic  * Asthmaniac is designed to be affordable, convenient, and reliable. * Asthmaniac follows national quality standards developed at NIH * Asthmaniac uses your phone to make your care convenient and engaging

* Finding your inhaler empty when the tightness starts IS NOT A GOOD FEELING! ..You need your rescue inhaler ..When you need it! ..Without it, it is probably a trip to the ER and ..a few days of having messed up breathing. * Asthmaniac offers $25 doctor visits for inhaler refills and *sends all orders for prescription medication to the pharmacy of your choice.

✓ You Need State-of-the-Art Asthma Care ✘ Traditional Clinics provide inconsistent care. ✘ And, they are expensive and inconvenient! ????Asthmaniac was made for you! ????Affordable doctor visits ✓ State-of-the-Art Asthma Care ✓ All online!

* Asthma is a chronic disease that places you at higher risk of serious illness with COVID19 infection. * Keeping your asthma well controlled will give you the best protection against serious COVID19 illness. * Controlling your COVID19 exposure should be a high priority until we have a vaccine.

Why do we use steroids in asthma? * Inflammation of the airways is the underlying problem in asthma * Steroids like Prednisone and Decadron are taken by mouth * Steroids like betamethasone and fluticasone are inhaled like albuterol. * Steroids are used to control inflammation in asthma * Lung inflammation in moderate asthma can be controlled but not cured.

* Asthma is present in about 10% of children. * Asthma in children is diagnosed when your child has recurring episodes of wheezing that are relieved by rescue medicine such as albuterol * Asthma in children is treated with the same medicines and treatment plans as in adults with adjustments for their size and metabolism.

* Your Asthma Action Plan is your quick-reference guide for how to react to changes in your breathing. * Your plan uses your Peak Expiratory Flow readings and your ACT scores to determine if your asthma is in control. * Your Asthma Action Plan clearly instructs you what to do when your symptoms flare up or your Peak Expiratory Flow is dropping. * This allows you to take action with additional medication that I have ordered for you to stop your wheezing from becoming a full-blown asthma attack. * Just to make sure you know your plan and where it is, I send it to your by text or email so you can keep it right on your phone!

* Quality Asthma care depends on self-management by patients. * A large part of my role as your physician is teaching you these self-management skills. * Crucial to these skills are techniques you will use to assess: * Your Symptoms (Asthma Control Test) * Your Lung Function (Peak Expiratory Flow) * We will discuss your self-assessments by phone rather than in-person. * These phone visits and your frequent use of the Asthmaniac website are designed to keep your asthma controlled while avoiding illness exposure and the inconveience of travel and waiting rooms

* Peak Expiratory Flow is measured by you, several times a week using a small pocket-sized flowmeter * You record the number measured by this device. * This number shows how well you are able to exhale and tells me if we have your lung inflammation under control * When this number starts edging down over a few days, we know it's time to take action before you start to feel symptoms of chest tightness, shortness of breath or actual wheezing. * I use Peak Expiratory Flow measurements and ACT scores in your Asthma Action Plan to help guide you in responding to changes in your lungs.

* The Asthma Control Test (ACT) is a survey that you fill out about your breathing symptoms. * Your score on this survey will classify your asthma into 3 levels: Well Controlled, Not Well Controlled, and Poorly Controlled * These classifications are used to determine what medications should be on your Asthma Action Plan. * The ACT should be completed weekly to make sure we have the earliest sign that your asthma is flaring up.

* Follow-up Care is Essential to good asthma control. * Follow-up allows determination of asthma severity. * Other disorders that affect your breathing are detected early. * Rescue medication refills are provided * Your Asthma Action Plan is updated.