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How Do Nebulizers Work?

child using nebulizer

For many people, difficulty with breathing can be a source of frequent anxiety. This anxiety only increases when it’s their child experiencing difficulty breathing. Due to factors beyond their control, it is not uncommon to need and administer some type of treatment or preventative measure on a daily basis. One of the most ever-present and trusted sources of breathing treatments is the nebulizer.

At one time, cumbersome pieces of equipment that could be loud, cumbersome, and frightening to children who had to use them for treatments, but the nebulizer machine has become quiet, accessible, and can even come in fun shapes and colorations. Patients or parents of patients dealing with asthma, pneumonia, cystic fibrosis, and other conditions that may wonder how a nebulizer works.

Just How Does a Nebulizer Work?

Nebulizer treatment works by atomizing liquid medicine into an inhalable gas form, which can then be easily breathed in by the patient as they wear a nebulizer mask. In addition to being an easier way to administer medicine than traditional oral methods, particularly for infants. Nebulizer medicine also dissipates into the lungs faster, so it can enter the bloodstream more quickly to provide relief as fast as possible.

Mouthpiece or Mask

Typically, a mouthpiece with a longer piece of nebulizer tubing attached to it will enable the patient to inhale their atomized medicine. However, a nebulizer mask is also frequently used. This mask can be a simple clear plastic mask that covers the nose and mouth to allow patients to relax or children to play as their atomized medication flows freely without the need to hold a mouthpiece.

Home Nebulizers

Home nebulizers work off of an AC power source which will plug into any standard outlet, freeing patients to administer treatments in their bedroom, living room, or any other area of the home that they choose. In this way, nebulizer breathing treatments can become less cumbersome and obstructive to daily life activities like cooking, watching TV, or sleeping.

Portable Nebulizers

For added convenience, many patients will be interested to know that portable nebulizers have evolved to such a degree that they can often fit in your purse or a compartment of your car. Utilizing a cigarette lighter or power-port adapter, or rechargeable batteries, portable nebulizers can free patients from worrying about what will happen if they are away from home when difficulty breathing strikes. They will always have access to their nebulizer medicine and can easily replace nebulizer parts if something gets broken or misplaced away from home.

Pediatric Nebulizers

This is equally true of the child-friendly nebulizer machine itself, which can come in any number of fun characters or objects, including cats, racecars, or seals. These characters can be tailored to their child’s preferences, enabling the equipment to blend in with other objects already in their room, comforting them.

By making the treatment visually appealing, parents will be able to make sure that their child’s nebulizer treatment is not something they need to have a conflict with their child over, but something they will accept as part of their daily routine as long as their health requires it. They act as an easier to use asthma machine when children are too small to use an inhaler or if they’re afraid to use one.

If you or your child is dealing with difficulty breathing, a prescription from their physician or pediatrician will be necessary for them to get either a home or portable nebulizer, as well as the respective medicine for the machine itself. Contact Aeroflow Healthcare today to talk to one of our trained representatives about the wide variety of nebulizer equipment we have available.

We will work with your insurance company to ensure that your machine, as well as any replacement or supplemental parts, are provided to you at little to no cost.

How To Use A Nebulizer

When you or your child needs to use a nebulizer you can set it up in a few simple steps:

  1. Put the nebulizer compressor (the main body of the machine) on a flat surface near an outlet.  
  2. Make sure each nebulizer piece is clean.
  3. Wash your hands prior to preparing the medication.
  4. Mix your medication if it hasn’t been premixed and add it to the container. Keep the container upright during treatment.
  5. Connect the compressor and liquid container with the tubing.
  6. Prepare the mouthpiece or mask.
  7. Turn your nebulizer on and make sure it’s misting.
  8. Make sure the mouthpiece or mask isn’t leaking. It usually takes about 15 minutes to inhale all of it.

Information provided on the Aeroflow Health blog is not intended as a substitute to medical advice or care. Aeroflow Health recommends consulting a doctor if you are experiencing medical issues or concerns.

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