Ventolin

What is Ventolin?

Ventolin is an asthma inhaler (or puffer), used as a reliever treatment. It relieves and controls asthma symptoms when you’re having an attack.

Ventolin is a type of puffer called a bronchodilator, which just means it’s an inhaler that helps to relax your airways to make it easier to breathe when you get symptoms.

The medication itself is in an aerosol that’s placed inside an inhaler. You simply press to release the active ingredients into the airways.

Asthma is a condition that affects the airways, making it difficult to breathe. For many people it’s little more than an annoyance that leads to shortness of breath and wheezing. For some it can be life threatening.

Asthma can be set off by many things, from pollution and infections to exercise, so each person will need to take care with these triggers to control it. The condition can be well managed with medications like Ventolin, which should be kept close to you in case an attack occurs.

How does Ventolin work?

It relaxes the airways when they’ve been irritated by an asthma trigger. That means you can breathe more easily, leading to less breathlessness, coughing and tightness in the chest.

As it’s fast-acting, Ventolin provides quick treatment of bronchospasms (when the muscles in your lungs tighten, making it harder for you to breathe). Short acting bronchodilators shouldn’t normally be used to prevent asthma, except sometimes in the case of sport induced asthma.

How to use Ventolin

Before using it for the first time, shake the puffer well and prime it by spraying it into the air four times. This way you’ll get the full and accurate dose you’ve been prescribed.

You can see how many doses the aerosol has on the device, which starts at 200. If you’re running low, be sure to have another aerosol handy.

To use it, first make sure you’re sitting or standing up straight. Take the mouthpiece off and check everything is clean and clear. Then shake the puffer a few times to make sure all the ingredients are mixed.

Next, breathe out and hold your thumb against the base of the puffer. Make a seal with your lips around the mouthpiece and breathe in. While doing this, press down on the canister to release the medicine. Hold your breath for as long as you’re comfortable.

If you’re taking two puffs, wait about thirty seconds before you start again. Put the cover back on the mouthpiece after using it.

How long does it take for Ventolin to work?

As Ventolin is used to treat an asthma attack, it needs to get to work quickly. It can take a few minutes before you feel its effects, but it should be noticeable almost immediately.

Can you take too much Ventolin?

Ventolin is usually needed two to four times a day, but in certain circumstances this can increase to eight puffs within a 24-hour period. You shouldn’t exceed this though.

If you take more Ventolin than you should, you might experience unpleasant side effects. Symptoms of a Ventolin overdose include a rapid heart rate, hyperactivity and feeling shaky.
If you notice any of these symptoms you should seek immediate medical help. They should subside after a few hours, but it’s better to be cautious.

Medically reviewed by

Dr Daniel Atkinson

GP Clinical Lead

on August 02, 2022.

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