EE Heather's asthma
It's been bugging me for a while, but as an asthmatic and a former nurse, it really annoys me to see Heather's inhaler technique when she's supposedly having an asthma attack.
No wonder her asthma is so poor, because as soon as she's sprayed the inhaler into her mouth, she breathes out the medication in the next breath. She should hold it in for around 10 seconds.
Yes, I know it's only a tv show, but so many people have poor inhaler technique, it might be useful for the programme to show how it should be done. There are placebo inhalers available, which don't contain the real asthma medication, so it's not like the actress is doing it to avoid inhaling medication she doesn't need.
And don't get me started on that squeaky noise she makes, which is meant to represent her wheezing!
Phew, I feel much better now - rant over!
No wonder her asthma is so poor, because as soon as she's sprayed the inhaler into her mouth, she breathes out the medication in the next breath. She should hold it in for around 10 seconds.
Yes, I know it's only a tv show, but so many people have poor inhaler technique, it might be useful for the programme to show how it should be done. There are placebo inhalers available, which don't contain the real asthma medication, so it's not like the actress is doing it to avoid inhaling medication she doesn't need.
And don't get me started on that squeaky noise she makes, which is meant to represent her wheezing!
Phew, I feel much better now - rant over!
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Comments
One lady showed me how she was using her inhaler and actually just puffed the medicine into the air beside her face. When i asked her why she used it that way, she said that's what the nurse did when she showed me how to use it! Obv the nurse wasn't going to spray medication into her own mouth so she demonstrated this way. She should have had a placebo inhaler to hand to show her properly, it's no wonder so many patients do it wrong if they aren't shown correctly, in a way they understand, in the first place.
True, but perhaps it could be a good learning point to have Yusef showing Heather how to use her inhaler properly! I know it would be a nurse in real life, but artistic license and all that!
LOL about your patient experience - reminds me of an episode of House, I think, where he asked a patient if she knew how to take her inhaler. The patient gave him a scathing look and said 'Of course I do!' and proceeded to spray the inhaler on both sides of her neck, as if applying perfume!
And just to go OT for a minute - good to see she recovered from her CO poisoning so quickly and with no after affects at all :rolleyes:
I know it's a serious subject, but that little story just brightened up my day!
well tis Heather after all, she bounced back quite well
I fully agree and was going to say the same. I noticed sometimes she has two puffs with no minute wait in between puffs. My doctor never told me about holding my breath for ten seconds, it was only until my breathing was bad and I was in hospital, did a nurse correctly inform me how to use an inhaler. So perhaps like FM Jayma mention, Yusef could show her how to use an inhaler correctly!
You're not alone, kushtiimaytee - there are so many people out there with asthma, who have either never been shown, or have forgotten how to use their inhalers properly. I'd also noticed her two puff technique too.
Glad you were shown the right way in the end, and I hope it helped your breathing!
I was thinking that, you are giving instructions with the inhaler and that's it.
It's really bad. EE should take note and set an example.
It has thank you, I felt like such a wally knowing I was doing it wrong but it's worth knowing than not!
Also, i'd imagine the inhaler was empty, so I don't see why she shouldn't press it down?
I've got asthma but I'm really lucky to have a trained asthma nurse at my doctors who is brilliant. It's not just Eastenders who don't portray it realistically it happens a lot on tv but it would be good to see it tackled in a realistic way.:)