Ventolin Evohaler

Ventolin Evohaler is a salbutamol inhaler, also known as a reliever inhaler or a blue inhaler.

It’s used to provide relief from asthma symptoms (coughing, wheezing, chest tightness or breathlessness), or before you’re likely to be exposed to known asthma triggers. Ventolin Evohaler provides quick relief by opening up the airways and facilitating easier breathing.

When you use Ventolin Evohaler, it releases a dose of salbutamol into your lungs. Salbutamol belongs to a class of medicines called fast-acting bronchodilators. Bronchodilators help the airways in your lungs to stay open, making it easier for air to get in and out. This helps to relieve chest tightness, wheezing and coughs.

It’s important to have good inhaler technique to make sure the full medicine dose reaches your lungs and is effective. If you have any questions, make sure to ask your pharmacist or regular healthcare provider.

To use the Ventolin Evohaler, you should:

• Gently shake the inhaler to ensure the contents are well mixed
• Breathe out gently, away from the inhaler, to empty your lungs
• Hold the inhaler upright with your thumb on the base and your fingers on the top of the canister
• Place the mouthpiece between your teeth and close your lips around it, ensuring a tight seal
• Start breathing in slowly and deeply through your mouth, while pressing down firmly on the canister to release the medicine
• Continue to inhale deeply and slowly to ensure the medicine reaches your lungs
• Hold your breath for as long as comfortable
• Exhale slowly
• If another dose is required, wait for approximately 30 seconds before repeating the steps
• Replace the cap on the mouthpiece to protect the inhaler when not in use

Watch this video on how to use a Ventolin Evohaler (pMDI inhaler).

Adults should use the following Ventolin Evohaler dosage guidelines:

• To relieve asthma: One or two puffs
• To prevent asthma: Two puffs 10-15 minutes before exercise or exposure to a “trigger”

Please note, the maximum dose is 8 puffs in a 24-hour period.

Make sure you talk to your asthma nurse or regular healthcare provider to determine how often and when you should be using your Ventolin Evohaler.

If you’ve taken a dose of your Ventolin Evolhaler as directed to relieve your asthma symptoms, you should feel the effects within five minutes and should take a second dose if there is no improvement.

You should also have an asthma action plan which you can get online for free or from your GP. This will tell you what to do if your reliever is not helping during an asthma attack, or if you need to use it more often than every four hours.

Please note:

Ventolin Evohaler is a rescue medicine, which means it’s designed to work fast to relieve asthma symptoms and should only be used when you need quick, emergency relief. If you need to use Ventolin Evohaler more than 3 times a week, if your asthma is affecting your sleep or exercise, or you need more than 2 inhalers a year, then your asthma is not well controlled and this could lead to a more serious asthma attack. If you need more than 6 inhalers a year, this is a clear warning sign of poor asthma control.

It’s essential to speak to your GP or asthma nurse for a comprehensive review of your asthma management plan so you can bring your asthma symptoms under control if you’re using 2 or more inhalers a year. You may need a preventer inhaler if you’re not already using one.

Your asthma is not under control if

• your blue reliever inhaler is not helping, or you need to use it more than every 4 hours.
• you are wheezing a lot, have a very tight chest, or you’re coughing a lot.
• you are breathless and are finding it difficult to talk or walk.
• your breathing is getting faster and it feels like you can’t get your breath in properly.

If you are experiencing these symptoms you should sit up straight, try to keep calm and take one puff of your reliever inhaler every 30-60 seconds up to a maximum of 10 puffs.

Call 999 if you feel worse at any point or you don’t feel better after 10 puffs. You can take a further 10 puffs after 15 minutes, while waiting for an ambulance.

Common side effects to be aware of when using Ventolin Evohaler include a fast heartbeat, shakiness, feeling light-headed, or experiencing muscle cramps.

Although uncommon, there are other potential side effects that can be found in the Patient Information Leaflet. If you have any concerns regarding these or other side effects while using Ventolin Evohaler, please consult your healthcare provider for advice or contact us through your online patient record.

Depression can make asthma worse and can also make it harder to get on top of your symptoms. It’s important that you let your GP or healthcare provider know if you’re struggling with your mental health, or if you feel that it’s affecting your ability to manage your asthma symptoms. For more information on how depression can affect your asthma, or how asthma can affect your mental health, click here:

Depression and Your Lung Condition

We can prescribe either Ventolin Evohaler or Salamol Easi-Breathe as reliever inhalers, if you’ve had these before. There are also other reliever inhalers that are available with a prescription. Consult with your GP or asthma nurse to determine if one of these options may be more suitable for you.

It’s important to remember that most people will benefit from a preventer inhaler taken every day to manage and prevent symptoms and for effective, ongoing asthma treatment. Speak with your GP or asthma nurse to see if one of these may be more suitable for you.

You should always follow your GP’s instructions for using your inhaler. Alongside this, there are some other things you can do to help manage your asthma. Having good control of your asthma condition means: you have symptoms less than 3 times a week during the day; no symptoms during exercise; and no symptoms at night.

Using a peak flow meter and diary can help understand and monitor your asthma. You can purchase a peak flow meter from your local pharmacy or ask your GP for a meter on prescription. You can then download the diary for free.

For more information on how to measure and record your peak flow, and how it can help you manage your asthma symptoms, click here:

What is Peak Flow?

It’s important to review your asthma treatment with your GP every year. This is to make sure that there aren’t any changes in your asthma symptoms and that you’re on the most appropriate treatment. Your GP or asthma nurse can also help you create a personalised asthma action plan which will give you clear steps on what to do if your asthma symptoms are getting worse.

There are also lifestyle changes that you can make that can help ease your asthma symptoms. Stopping smoking will help your asthma and reduce how much medicine you need.

Stop Smoking Treatment Service

If you are overweight, losing weight is likely to improve your symptoms and make it easier to control your asthma.

Ventolin Evohaler is a prescription medicine, which means it’s not available to get over the counter. You’ll need a valid prescription from a healthcare provider to obtain Ventolin Evohaler. You can get this from your regular GP or through an online healthcare service like Boots Online Doctor.

It’s important to consult with your doctor or healthcare professional to assess your asthma symptoms and determine the appropriate treatment plan for you, which may include a prescription for Ventolin Evohaler.

The Ventolin Evohaler is a type of asthma inhaler. It’s used for symptomatic relief of asthma. The Evohaler is a pMDI (or ‘puffer’ inhaler). Pressurised metered-dose inhalers (pMDI) work based on the pressurised propellant in the aerosol chamber. The advantage of this is the accurate and repeatable dosing, which minimises errors when a dose is released.

No, Ventolin Evohaler does not contain steroids. Steroid-based inhalers are known as corticosteroids and are used as preventer inhalers to help reduce airway inflammation and manage day-to-day symptoms of asthma. A steroid inhaler is recommended for use alongside a salbutamol inhaler like Ventolin Evohaler (which provides more immediate relief from acute symptoms and asthma attacks) as part of a full asthma treatment plan.

Ventolin and Salamol are both types of inhalers known as reliever inhalers. They contain the same active ingredient, salbutamol. They have slightly different mechanisms of action: Ventolin Evohaler is a pMDI (puffer) inhaler that requires you to push down on the canister to release the dose of medicine into your lungs; Salamol Easi-Breathe is breath-actuated, meaning the dose is automatically released as you breathe in through the inhaler. You can discuss which inhaler may be most suitable for you with your asthma specialist or regular healthcare provider.

For effective and ongoing asthma treatment, you may also be prescribed a preventer inhaler to use on a daily basis to manage and prevent symptoms. If you’ve been previously prescribed one of the following preventer inhalers by your GP, we can prescribe the same inhaler again: Qvar Autohaler, Qvar Easi-Breathe Inhaler, Qvar Aerosol, Clenil Modulite, and Pulmicort Turbohaler.

Find out more about asthma inhalers.

A variety of things, from pet allergies to exercise and work environment, can trigger your asthma symptoms and asthma attacks. It’s crucial to get to know what your triggers are and take steps to manage these. Be sure to discuss this during your annual asthma review with your healthcare provider, as they may be able to provide guidance and assistance in minimising these effects.

We recommend cleaning the inhaler at least once a week to prevent blockage:

• Remove the metal canister from the plastic case and remove the mouthpiece cover.
• Rinse the plastic case thoroughly under warm running water.
• Dry the plastic case thoroughly inside and out.
• Replace the metal canister and put on the mouthpiece cover. Do not put the metal canister in water.

Some inhalers are less harmful to the environment than others. To find out more about the environmental impact of asthma inhalers, take a look at Asthma & Lung UK’s page on inhalers and the environment.

If you’re concerned about the environmental impact of your inhaler, you should discuss what options are available at your next asthma review with your GP or asthma nurse.

Important:
Do not stop using the inhalers you already have before talking to a healthcare professional at your GP surgery.

You should return your used inhalers back to the pharmacy for safe disposal.