American Idol Turns A Paige Onto Hollywood

I love watching American Idol. Last week it was Larry Platt’s “Pants on the Ground” that became an overnight sensation, but tonight, I think all of us with asthma or kids with asthma are cheering for Paige Dechausse.

What an inspiration! However, did anyone else notice that she used her inhaler incorrectly on the show? She did a “press and breathe” maneuver, rather than the correct “breathe/press” technique.

What’s the difference? Pressing the inhaler first leaves most of the medication in your mouth--where it's swallowed and winds up in your stomach. Instead, begin a slow, deep breath while pressing the inhaler. This carries the medication deep into the airways.

Better yet, use a valved holding chamber and the timing of the inhalation becomes less important. Why a valved holding chamber? The valve allows medication to flow only one way--into your airway--when you're ready to take a full, deep breath.

Valved holding chambers come in a variety of sizes for people of all ages, with and without masks. The PARI Vortex comes with a duck mask for young children, but having used one recently with my 4-month-old grandson, I discovered it wasn't possible to tell if he was actually inhaling the medication. Twenty-four hours later we were back at the pediatrician’s office giving Trey a breathing treatment. This time when he went home, it was with a prescription for a nebulizer machine and medication.

The new AeroChamber MAX with Flow-Vu has a distinct advantage, particularly for giving inhaler medications to children. There's a small flap or valve that's so sensitive that it shows you when the baby is inhaling the medication.

I don’t know about you, but I hope Paige makes it in Hollywood. It’s going to be fun to watch. A key to her success will be to keep her lungs healthy, exercise and inhale that medication deep into her airways. Remember: “breathe/press”!