Death risk from inhaler misuse

ASTHMA sufferers who use their inhaler too often are increasing their chances of dying from the condition, according to researchers.

Excessive use of blue, reliever inhalers is believed to cause the problem. Sufferers are usually prescribed two inhalers, a reliever inhaler to open the airways of the lungs and help stop wheezing, and a preventer inhaler which helps control the condition and reduce the frequency of attacks or prevent them entirely.

Research in the medical journal Thorax suggests it is possible to spot asthma patients at greatest risk of a fatal attack simply by checking how many reliever inhalers they use. If it is more than one a month, it should be seen as a warning that the drug is being used too often.