(BPT) – Did you know that Asthma affects approximately 26 million Americans, including 7.1 million children? May is Asthma and Allergy Awareness month and the perfect time to remind parents of asthmatics about the importance of making sure their child is getting the correct delivery of their asthma medication.

Asthma is a very common chronic disorder in children. While many believe that asthma can be outgrown, once you have asthma, you will always have it, so it is important to make sure it is well controlled. To manage asthma, there are two types of medications – quick-relief medicine and long-term control medicine, both of which are available through metered-dose inhalers.

Metered-dose inhalers, or MDIs, are the most commonly prescribed inhaler for asthmatics with more than 45 million prescriptions a year, but they can be difficult to use for some patients, especially children or the elderly, who may have trouble with the coordination of spraying and breathing at the same time. These inhalers can also spray medicine as fast as 60 miles per hour, which can cause the medicine to hit the back of the throat or roof of the mouth preventing the full dose from reaching the lungs. For these patients, especially younger and elderly patients who have trouble using their MDI, National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute’s Guidelines for the Diagnosis and Management of Asthma recommend a valved holding chamber be used to help correctly deliver the medication.

AeroChamber Plus® Flow-Vu® anti-static valved holding chamber (VHC) is a BPA-free, prescription-only option that can be used with an MDI to help patients get the benefit from their inhaler by helping to correctly deliver the medication. AeroChamber Plus® is the only valved holding chamber available with the Flow-Vu® indicator, which moves as the patient breathes to help provide visual indication that inhalation is happening through the chamber. This is a useful feature as it allows parents and caregivers to ensure the chamber is sealed well enough against the face or around the lips to adequately deliver the medicine from the MDI. AeroChamber Plus® Flow-Vu® VHC is available with a mouthpiece or ComfortSeal® Mask, that come in different sizes and help create a secured seal, which can be critical for parents or caregivers administering aerosol medication to children.

“Valved holding chambers, such as AeroChamber Plus® Flow-Vu® VHC, can help patients who may have difficulty with the coordination and control needed to use some asthma inhalers effectively,” said Tonya Winders, MBA, Chief Executive Officer of Allergy & Asthma Network of Asthmatics.” A visual indicator, which confirms correct inhalation, and the ability to clean the device in a regular dishwasher cycle (up to 158°F),are features that are especially important for caregivers. In fact, AeroChamber Plus® Flow-Vu® VHC was even awarded a top 10 innovations in technology award by Allergy & Asthma Network Mothers of Asthmatics (AANMA).”

Tune into The Balancing Act® on Lifetime® Channel on Tuesday, May 20th at 7:00 am (ET/PT) and Tuesday, May 27th at 7:00 am (ET/PT) to watch Allergist, Dr. Jacqueline Eghrari-Sabet, Founder and Medical Director of Family Allergy & Asthma Care in Maryland and Tonya Winders, MBA, CEO of Allergy & Asthma Network Mothers of Asthmatics (AANMA), talk more about AeroChamber Plus® Flow-Vu® VHC and the importance of effective medication delivery in the treatment of asthma.

AEROCHAMBER PLUS® FLOW-VU® INDICATIONS FOR USE: This product is intended to be used by patients who are under the care or treatment of a physician or licensed healthcare professional. The device is intended to be used by these patients to administer aerosolized medication from most pressurized Metered Dose Inhalers. The intended environments for use include the home, hospitals and clinics.

CAUTIONS:

PRODUCT MAY BE PERMANENTLY DAMAGED IF BOILED, STERILIZED OR CLEANED IN A DISHWASHER AT TEMPERATURES ABOVE 158°F (70°C).Do not leave the chamber unattended with children.Federal (USA) law restricts the sale of this device on or by the order of a physician.AeroChamber Plus® Flow-Vu® is available by prescription only.

AEROCHAMBER®, AEROCHAMBER PLUS®, FLOW-VU® and AEROCHAMBER PLUS FLOW-VU® are registered trademarks of Trudell Medical International.

Please see instructions for use for additional information.

The Balancing Act and the Balancing Act Logo are trademarks of The Balancing Act TV, LLC. Lifetime and the Lifetime Logo are trademarks of Lifetime Entertainment Services, LLC.

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