Hold your breath for 10 seconds to allow the medication to settle in the lungs. Breathe out slowly. Repeat puffs as directed. If a steroid inhaler is used, rinse the mouth after use. Most MDIs deliver premeasured doses of medicine to the lungs using a propellant.
Older devices use chlorofluorocarbons, or CFCs, as the propellant.
Too many CFCs can damage the ozone layer around the earth, and this can harm the environment. Now these older models are being phased out and replaced by new CFC-free devices. The Environmental Protection Agency has given manufacturers several years to come up with alternative ways to deliver medications. The new product's taste is less bitter, the canister size is smaller and less force of the spray is needed to get the medication into the lungs. An example is Pulmicort Turbuhaler.