How to Use Inhaler with Spacer for Pidgin: 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 help plenty of the medicine reach inside the lungs instead of remaining for mouth or throat, so the medicine fit work better.
🟧 Why doctor fit tell you make you use spacer?
Some people dey press inhaler and breathe at the wrong time.
When that happen, plenty medicine no reach the lungs.
Instead, e remain for mouth or throat, and the 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 the inhaler cap
• shake the inhaler well
• connect the inhaler to the spacer
Then:
• breathe out gently
• put the spacer mouthpiece inside your mouth and close your lips tightly around am
• if na small pikin, place the mask well over nose and mouth
• press the 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 the spacer about 4 to 6 times
If doctor prescribe another puff:
• wait around 30 seconds
• shake the inhaler again
• repeat the 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 the inhaler
• pressing the inhaler before putting the spacer in the mouth
• spraying two or three puffs together
• breathing too fast
• no sealing the lips well around the mouthpiece
• forgetting to clean the spacer
👉🏾 Small mistake fit reduce the amount of medicine wey reach your lungs.
🟧 Why cleaning the spacer matter?
Medicine fit remain inside the 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 the manufacturer's instructions
• allow am dry by itself
• no wipe the 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 the 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 Medicines Explained (coming soon)