Can Inhaler Overuse Affect Asthma and Harm the Lungs?

Asthma inhalers are portable devices that deliver medication to the lungs and are all hand-held. A variety of asthma inhalers are available to help manage asthma symptoms. Further, finding the right one and using it correctly can help one sustain the medication needed to prevent and treat asthma attacks.

This disease leads to inflammation and swelling of the airways, narrowing the airways in the lungs. This prevents one from normal breathing when asthma attacks begin. When you inhale the medication, the airways gradually relax, allowing your breathing to return to normal. Inhalers help control asthma; however, overuse and constant exposure to it could eventually lead to your lungs becoming under-responsive to the medication, and the airways could become hypersensitive to usual asthma triggers.

Moreover, if the child is on a high dose of corticosteroid in their preventer inhaler, specifically over a long period, there would be some risk of systemic side effects or the side effects from the medicine getting to the rest of the body, such as thinning bones or osteoporosis, increased risk of diabetes, and bruising.

Read Also: The Dangers of Putting Too Much Pressure on Your Kids

Incorrect use of an inhaler can lead to serious complications

Aside from long-term management, inhalers also help prevent future asthma attacks by keeping the lungs healthy and relaxed. Inhaled steroids are sometimes used along with oral steroids. Unfortunately, those who take inhaled steroids for long-term management are at increased risk of developing pneumonia as the medicine directly goes into the lungs.

Kids usually need to consume 1-2 puffs from their inhaler in the morning and 1-2 puffs in the evening. Data published on Healthline says it's essential to keep using the inhaler despite feeling better, as asthma symptoms will only stop if used daily.

Moreover, a 2015 study, "Inhaled Corticosteroids in Children With Persistent Asthma: Effects on Growth," determined that inhaled steroids can stunt growth in young ones. Also, if a certain individual is taking a high dose or has used inhaled steroids for an extended period, they may encounter weight gain because of the increase in appetite.

Dr. BJ Lanser, a National Jewish Health in Denver specialist, says many kids were taking medicine incorrectly because they didn't know how to use it properly. Kids take breaths differently, which could cause serious complications as the lungs will not sustain accurate medicine as the usage is incorrect.

Some inhalers could worsen your breathing

Sadly, childhood asthma cannot be cured, and symptoms can continue into adulthood. Hence, with the proper treatment, the child can keep the symptoms under control and prevent any possible damage to the growing lungs.

For instance, most kids do well with it albuterol medication; hence, the most common side effects are flushing, rapid heartbeat, and jitteriness. The jitteriness in some kids becomes hyperactivity. These side effects wear off in most children, or at least are much less bothersome, after approximately 10-15 minutes. However, such medicine may cause paradoxical bronchospasms, which means your wheezing or breathing will get worse. This may actually be life-threatening, per Mayo Clinic.

Related Article: Pediatric Severe Asthma Causes: Can Show Up in a Child's First Years of Life?