Asthma
Asthma is a common condition caused by narrowing of the small air passages (breathing tubes/bronchi) in the lungs. The narrowing happens because the air passages become swollen and inflamed. This makes it harder for air to get through and causes wheezing, coughing and problems with breathing.
Medication for asthma is most commonly taken through an inhaler, which is a device that helps you get the medication straight into your lungs where it is needed.


Anaphylaxis
Anaphylaxis is the most severe form of allergic reaction and is potentially life threatening. It must be treated as a medical emergency, requiring immediate treatment and urgent medical attention. Anaphylaxis is a generalised allergic reaction, which often involves more than one body system (e.g. skin, respiratory, gastro-intestinal, cardiovascular). A severe allergic reaction usually occurs within 20 minutes of exposure to the trigger and can rapidly become life threatening
Anaphylaxis requires immediate medical treatment, including an injection of epinephrine (adrenaline) via auto-injector and a trip to a hospital emergency room. If it isn’t treated properly, anaphylaxis can be fatal.
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Asthma fact-sheet
Anaphylaxis fact-sheet
How to store Asthma Inhaler:
Keep the inhaler away from extremes of heat and cold. The glove box of your car might seem like a handy place to store an inhaler, but the extreme heat and cold the inhaler will be exposed to in your car can change the composition of the medication and render it ineffective. For example, the patient information sheet for one form of albuterol, brand name Proventil, cautions that at temperatures above 48ºC degrees the inhaler could burst. The manufacturers of Proventil recommend storing it at temperatures between 15ºC and 25ºC, and this is a good range to keep in mind for all inhalers.
How to store Epipen:
EpiPen and EpiPen Jr® (epinephrine) Auto-Injectors should be stored at a temperature of 25ºC; however, temperature excursions between 15ºC and 25ºC are permitted.
- EpiPen and EpiPen Jr Auto-Injectors should not be stored in refrigerators or in a vehicle’s glove box.
- EpiPen Auto-Injectors should not be exposed to extreme heat or cold and protect from light.