Patients who have been diagnosed with asthma know the difficulties of administering their medicine through an inhaler all too well! However, finding options that help prevent user error can be life changing. If you're someone who is experiencing difficulties coordinating their breathing with an inhaler alone, using a spacer can provide a world of difference. With so many on the market, it can become overwhelming to choose  the best among the different types of spacers, however with our expertise knowledge, your choices can be narrowed down! 

Why Use an Asthma Spacer ?

If your doctor has prescribed a pressurised metered-dose inhaler (pMDI), attaching a spacer can help deliver a greater concentration of medicine to your lungs. A spacer creates a “space” between your mouth and the asthma medicine and slows down the speed of the medication coming from the inhaler, breaking the medicine down into smaller droplets and enabling the correct dosage to be inhaled. It also decreases the chances of experiencing oral thrush by reducing the residue of medicine being left behind in the mouth and throat.

A spacer attachment may also come with a face mask which can help patients with breathing in asthma medicine easier. A face mask is recommended for those who are experiencing coordination difficulties in administering the medication while performing proper breathing required for inhalers, especially children under 5 years of age. You can even use the mask while your family members are asleep.

6 Spacer Brands and How They Compare

There are several brands and sizes of spacers available on the market today, however, choosing the correct one for yourself or your child can be challenging. As such, we have compiled a list of six spacer brands and how they compare to each other to easily make the decision. 

e-chamber

The product comparison of e-chamber products among others shows that it provides the highest dose of medication that exits the valve compared to other asthma spacers. Their antistatic La Grande (510ml) and La Petite (220ml) spacers can be used out of the box without priming or washing. The La Petite also opens apart to easily store your inhaler inside, keeping all your items together. With their spacer and mask options, choose your pick according to the capacity and portability that you need!

Volumatic

Also known as a large volume device, the Volumatic inhaler spacer offers the same function as an e-chamber La Grande, but it offers a larger capacity of up to 750ml. While a larger capacity might sound more appealing, the dosage of medication being released through the chamber actually lessens. Typically, the device also needs to be washed before it can be used for the first time.

Note: If you need to use it immediately, you can ‘prime’ it by firing at least 10 puffs into the device to reduce static build-up inside and get the medication dose as usual.

AeroChamber Plus®

The AeroChamber Plus® offers multiple spacer capacities and mask sizes to fit patients of all different ages according to their required medication dosage. The smallest spacer capacity for the AeroChamber Plus is 149ml. Similar to the e-chamber, their spacers are designed with an antistatic chamber for easy use on the go.

Breath-a-Tech

Another antistatic spacer is Breath-a-Tech. Its chamber is recyclable, compatible with most standard puffers, and comes with a silicone mask. However, it falls short compared to the capacities of e-chamber and Volumatic, offering only 218ml with a lesser dose leaving the chamber and entering the lungs. 

Space chamber

Boasting a Cross Valve Technology™ that ensures low resistance during inhalation and allows easy exhalation through the chamber, the Space Chamber offers non-antistatic and antistatic types of spacers that may come with a medical face mask. Its 225ml capacity, however, returns a smaller medication dose than what the e-chamber La Petite and Breath-a-Tech spacers can, even with almost the same capacity.

Able Spacer

Among the listed spacer brands, the Able Spacer offers the smallest capacity of 135ml, making it ultra-portable and convenient for asthma patients who are always on the go. Like any small antistatic spacer, this can only release a small amount of medication through the chamber.

Among the spacer brands mentioned above, you should choose the option most suitable for your age, asthma treatment, and lifestyle. Most importantly, remember to speak to your doctor before your purchase so they can help you choose the best option for your circumstances.

Get the Best Types of Spacers from Home Healthcare Online

A reliable asthma spacer makes it easier for asthmatics to get medication from their metered-dose inhaler (MDI) in a way that’s comfortable and relaxed, however there is no one size fits all spacer in the market. As such, you may have to trial a few spacers before you find that one that is best suited to you or your child. 

At Home Healthcare Online, we aim to provide the best type of spacers, which is why we sell e-chamber’s La Petite and La Grande. No other brand’s spacer will exert medication to the same capacity, therefore we believe to be the best option for our customers. If your child is under the age of 5, we recommend trying the La Petite with a mask to help ease the dosage of medicine to their lungs. 

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