How to Use Inhaler with Spacer for both adults and pikin:
Step-by-Step Guide for Better Asthma Control

Read in: English | Pidgin English

Published: 23 July 2026

🩺 Medically reviewed by the Health Decoded Guide Editorial Team · Last reviewed: July 2026.

🔍 Quick Breakdown

Spacer na plastic device wey person fit connect to inhaler.

E go help plenty of d medicine reach inside d lungs instead of remaining for mouth or throat, so d medicine fit work better.

🟧 Why doctor fit tell you make you use spacer?

Some people dey press inhaler and breathe at d wrong time.

When that happen, plenty medicine no reach d lungs.

Instead, e remain for mouth or throat, and d treatment no go work as well as e suppose.

Spacer help solve this problem because e hold the medicine for a few seconds until you breathe am in.

👉🏾 Sometimes asthma no dey improve not because d medicine no good, but because d medicine no dey reach where e need to work.

🟧 Who fit benefit from spacer?

Spacer fit help almost anybody wey dey use metered-dose inhaler.

Especially:

• children 
• adults with asthma
• older people
• anybody wey find am difficult to coordinate pressing inhaler and breathing

For small children, doctor fit recommend spacer wey get face mask.

👉🏾 Using spacer no mean your asthma serious pass another person own. Na simply one way to make treatment work better.

🟧 How to use am step by step

Before you start:

• remove d inhaler cap
• shake d inhaler well
• connect d inhaler to d spacer

Then:

• breathe out gently first
• put d spacer mouthpiece inside your mouth and close your lips tightly around am
• if na small pikin, place d mask well over nose and mouth
• press d inhaler once
• breathe in slowly and deeply
• hold your breath for about 10 seconds if you fit
• breathe out gently

If you no fit take one deep breath:

• after one puff, breathe in and out normally through d spacer about 4 to 6 times

If doctor prescribe another puff:

• wait around 30 seconds
• shake d inhaler again
• repeat d same steps

👉🏾 One puff at a time dey work pass spraying many puffs together.

🟧 Mistakes wey plenty people dey make

Even people wey don use inhaler for years fit still make mistakes.

Common ones include:

• forgetting to shake d inhaler
• pressing d inhaler before putting d spacer in d mouth
• spraying two or three puffs together
• breathing too fast
• no sealing the lips well around d mouthpiece
• forgetting to clean d spacer

👉🏾 Small mistake fit reduce d amount of medicine wey reach your lungs.

🟧 Why cleaning d spacer matter?

Medicine fit remain inside d spacer after use.

Dust and dirt fit also gather inside.

To keep am working well:

• wash am with warm water and small detergent about once every month, or follow d manufacturer's instructions
• allow am to dry by itself
• no wipe d inside with towel or cloth because e fit create static wey make medicine stick inside

👉🏾 Clean spacer help more medicine enter your lungs.

🟧 Real life example

Emeka don dey use inhaler with spacer for years, but e still dey wheeze almost every week.

E think say maybe him asthma don worse.

When e go clinic, doctor ask am make e show how e dey use the inhaler.

Na there dem notice say e no dey breathe in slowly after each puff, so plenty medicine no dey reach him lungs.

After doctor show am d correct way:

• breathing improve
• wheezing reduce
• e no need use emergency inhaler as often again

👉🏾 Sometimes, na small change for how you use your inhaler and spacer fit make your medicine work much better.

🟧 When you suppose go hospital 🚨

Go hospital immediately if:

• inhaler no improve your breathing
• you dey struggle to talk because of breathlessness
• lips or fingers begin turn blue or grey
• breathing continue dey worse after using your reliever inhaler

👉🏾 These signs fit mean serious asthma attack wey need emergency treatment.

🟢 Final reassurance

Using spacer no hard, but using am the correct way fit change how well your asthma medicine work.

If you no sure whether you dey use your inhaler correctly, make doctor, nurse or pharmacist watch you use am and correct any mistakes.

👉🏾 Correct inhaler technique fit be one of the best ways to control asthma and reduce asthma attacks.

📚 Reference

For full medical references, see the English version of this article.

⚠️ Disclaimer

This article na for education only. E no replace advice from doctor or other qualified healthcare professional.

If you dey find am difficult to use your inhaler, or your breathing no improve after using am, abeg see healthcare professional immediately.

🔗 Related Health Topics

• Asthma
• Asthma in Children
• Allergic Asthma in Children
• Exercise-Induced Asthma in children
• Night-time Asthma in Children
• Asthma Management