Patient was educated on contraindications for using steroid inhalers as follows: Opportunistic infection Steroid inhalers should be used cautiously in individuals with history of opportunistic infections, as it can result in flaring up of infections, such as, candida, secondary bacterial and viral infections. Discuss with your doctor regarding your history of opportunistic infections and safety with the use of these inhalers. Carefully watch for any throat irritation, undiagnosed productive cough, fever, stomach upset, white patches [...]

Patient was educated on contraindications for using steroid inhalers as follows: Hypertension Steroid inhalers should be used cautiously in hypertensive patient, as steroid inhalers can result in retention of sodium and water, which contributes towards elevated blood pressures. Maintain a log of everyday blood pressure readings and report any gross elevations in the readings to your physician. Congestive heart failure Steroid inhalers should be used cautiously in individuals with congestive heart failure, as they can [...]

Patient was educated on side effects of using steroid inhalers as follows: Osteoporosis Chronic use of steroid inhalers can result in osteoporosis with weakening of the skeletal framework and pathological fractures. Secondary bacterial and viral infections Due to the immunosuppression caused by the steroid inhaler, individuals using them are more prone to secondary bacterial and viral infections of respiratory tract. Patients can present with signs and symptoms of infection, such as, fever, throat irritation, productive [...]

Patient was educated on side effects of using steroid inhalers as follows: Hypertension Steroid inhaler use can result in retention of sodium and water and cause elevated blood pressure. Elevated blood sugars On long-term use, steroid inhalers can result in increased insulin resistance and contribute towards elevated blood sugars. Elevated blood sugars particularly can be an issue in diabetics with poor blood sugar control. Opportunistic fungal infection Steroid inhaler use can result in opportunistic fungal [...]

Patient was educated on how to use steroid inhalers as follows: Always, check the expiration date on the steroid inhaler before using it. Shake the inhaler well for 5 seconds before every use. Take the cap off the mouthpiece. Make sure the mouthpiece is clean before having it in the mouth. Hold the steroid inhaler between the thumb at the base and the index finger at the top, with the canister up and mouthpiece down. [...]