Question

Asalaam Alaykum,

I have been given an inhaler to help ease an issue with my lungs (Issue developed due to covid). Can I continue to fast while using the inhaler?

Answer

When an asthma pump is used, though the contents of the inhaler are meant to reach the lungs, there is a percentage that solidifies upon coming into contact with the back of the throat or tongue. These solidified particles then make their way into the stomach. For this reason using an inhaler would break the fast. 

If a fasting person is in a position where they need to take the asthma pump and not doing so would cause considerable hardship and harm, they should take the asthma pump and make up one fast after Ramadan for each fast broken in this manner.

الدر المختار وحاشية ابن عابدين (رد المحتار) (2/ 395)
أو دخل حلقه غبار أو ذباب أو دخان) ولو ذاكرا استحسانا لعدم إمكان التحرز عنه، ومفاده أنه لو أدخل حلقه الدخان أفطر أي دخان كان ولو عودا أو عنبرا له ذاكرا لإمكان التحرز عنه فليتنبه له كما بسطه الشرنبلالي

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/17005581/

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/11475468/

Answered by:
Ifta Research Fellow

Checked & Approved by:
Mufti Abdul Rahman Mangera
Mufti Zubair Patel