A few months ago a member of my family who, like I is afflicted with COPD mentioned to me that she was experiencing difficulties with getting used to using the Symbicort COPD drug inhaler.
She explained that she had developed a slight infection in her throat that she thought was caused by using the Symbicort inhaler.
As soon as I heard that I asked her if she was rinsing her mouth out after using the inhaler, which is generally normal procedure when taking this drug, because it is a steroid-type inhaler. She said that her doctor did tell her to rinse her mouth out after using the inhaler but evidently she wasn’t doing it adequately.
Because I had been using the Symbicort inhaler for more than four years at that point and had also experienced a similar sore throat infection which is called thrush, I figured I could offer some advice that might be of benefit to her.
One of the first things I asked my relative was if she was gargling while rinsing her mouth out after using the inhaler. She told me that she was unsure of how to actually gargle.
After I explained how to effectively gargle to my relative the thought crossed my mind that there must be other people in the world who are unsure of how to gargle. That’s why I decided to write an article that explains how to perform this mouth maneuver.
When you are attempting to gargle with water, mouthwash or any other liquid, take some of the liquid into your mouth then keep your lips closed so the liquid cannot drip out.
With the liquid still in your mouth tilt your head back as far as you can, so the back of your head is almost touching the back of your neck.
While it is technically possible to gargle with your mouth closed you can get better results with your mouth opened.
Begin to gently blow air out of your mouth with the liquid still in there. Try to focus on blowing the air towards the roof of your mouth.
As you are blowing the air toward the roof of your mouth the liquid in your mouth should start to almost bubble or percolate. Witth your head still tilted back keep blowing air towards the roof of your mouth. It is usually best to try to keep your tongue out of the way while you are blowing the air.
While you are blowing the air towards the roof of your mouth you can also swish the liquid around in your mouth. By blowing the air upward in your mouth you are cleaning the roof of the mouth and part of the throat and by swishing the liquid around you are cleaning the sides and bottom of the mouth.
The practice of gargling is especially effective when you are utilizing mouthwash or rinsing-out after brushing your teeth. By gargling when you perform these actions you are cleaning the mouth thoroughly and allowing the breath-freshening flavors of the mouthwash or toothpaste to effectively freshen the entire mouth.
Sources :
Personal experience with the process of gargling