Nebulization involves the process of transforming liquid medications into faster-

acting inhaled mists. This aerosolizing is accomplished by a nebulizer machine

equipped with a compressor and a mouthpiece or face mask. Nebulization is used to
treat respiratory conditions, such as asthma or cystic fibrosis.

Nebulizers effectively deliver medicine directly into an individual's respiratory tract

so that it can reach the lungs quickly. Since the device's mouthpiece or mask is
easy to use and require little coordination, nebulizers are well suited for the
treatment of children.

Many health insurers will help pay for the costs of at-home nebulization treatments
prescribed by a physician.

Different Types

There are different types of nebulizers, which have been nicknamed breathing
machines. Jet nebulizers are the most common. They use compressed air to turn
liquid medicine into an aerosol that passes through tubing to the face mask or
mouthpiece. Ultrasonic nebulizers produce sound waves to create aerosolized
droplets.

Bronchodilators and corticosteroids are among the medications selected more

frequently for nebulization. Delivering these agents into the respiratory tract can
lead to speedy relief of breathing difficulties associated with asthma.

HOW?

1. Prepare the machine. There are actually different instructions on how to set up
your nebulizer, because there are some variations in nebulizers depending on the
manufacturer. So make sure that you have your manual with you when it's your first
time to set it up for use. Also, check the mask or mouthpiece for dirt and clean it
before using it or letting someone else use it. But even if these are the most
important parts, make sure that the tube and the machine itself are clean.

2. Place the medication. Some doctors give a medication of two types of liquid to
be placed in the nebulizer although some only give one. Make sure to read your
doctor's instructions, along with the instructions from the home nebulizer manual.
There is a specified cup where you can place the medicine so make sure it is sealed
in before you turn on the machine. Take note that a pediatric nebulizer would have
different requirements to that of an adult's, so extra care must be performed in
placing the medication. The doctor may have indicated the need of applying only a
small volume of the medication instead of the full dose. Again, refer to your doctor's
instructions and the nebulizer manual.

3. Secure the mouthpiece or mask. Make sure that you are biting the mouth piece
properly and that you can breathe through it comfortably. If you are using a mask,
make sure that none of the mist gets out through any side of it, so you can get the
full benefits of the medicine placed there. Occasionally tap the cup of medication so
it can be misted because there may be a tendency that they are all kept to one
side.

4. Sit comfortably. Once the mouthpiece or mask is in place, turn on the machine
and inhale and exhale at a regular pace. This allows the medication to settle in your
respiratory tract. You can try holding your breath for at most ten seconds before
exhaling to get most of the medication in your airways.

5. Monitor. Nebulizer treatments must be monitored carefully because this type of

therapy will not be quite as effective if the mask is not properly put on or the
medication was not put properly placed. You have to check for the connections
before you turn it on and during the nebulization process. More often than not, the
medication will be completely misted in 15 to 20 minutes. The machine will give a
sound when the medicine has been fully consumed.

Performing nebulization is not as difficult as you may think. But proper care must be
observed before, during and after the procedure to secure your health or the health
of the person using the nebulizer. Remember to wash the mouthpiece or mask with
warm water after every use and dry it before being stored in a dry place for the
next use.

Advantages of nebulization

Nebulizers mix medicine with compressed air to create a fine mist that the patient
breathes in through a facemask or mouthpiece.1 Nebulizers offer the advantage of
delivering the drug directly into the lungs, and are often easier to coordinate for
young children.

For children, nebulization is one of the easiest and most effective ways to
administer asthma medicine.2 Using appropriately sized masks that fit infants, or
mouthpieces for older children and adults, patients simply breathe normally until all
the medicine has been inhaled. Another advantage of nebulization, particularly for
young children, is that it requires no special technique to get the medicine into the
lungs. By contrast, MDIs require proper technique that may be hard for young
children to master, and in many cases a significant portion of the medicine does not
reach the child's lungs.

Nebulizer
In medicine, a nebulizer is a device used to administer medication to people in the
form of a mist inhaled into the lungs. It is commonly used in treating cystic fibrosis,
asthma, and other respiratory diseases.

There are different types of nebulizer, although the most common are the jet
nebulizers, which are also called "atomizers".[1] Jet nebulizers are connected by
tubing to a compressed air source that causes air or oxygen to blast at high velocity
through a liquid medicine to turn it into an aerosol, which is then inhaled by the
patient.

As a general rule, doctors most commonly prescribe metered-dose inhalers for their
patients, largely because these are more convenient and portable than nebulizers.
However, jet nebulizers are commonly used in hospital settings for patients who
have difficulty using inhalers, such as in serious cases of respiratory disease, or
severe asthma attacks.[2]

Newer, compact electronic nebulizers are also available.[3] These nebulizers, such
as the Pari eFlow, the Respironics i-Neb, the Omron MicroAir series, and the Aerogen
Aeroneb, use vibration of membranes or meshes to produce the aerosol and are
more portable since they do not need the compressed air source that accompanies
jet nebulizers. However, electronic nebulizers are more expensive. Piezoelectric
nebulizers are used in electronic cigarettes.

Use and attachments

Nebulizers accept their medicine in the form of a liquid solution, which is often
loaded into the device upon use. Bronchodilators such as salbutamol (albuterol
USAN) are often used and sometimes additionally ipratropium. Corticosteroids are
also used. The reason they are inhaled instead of ingested is usually to target their
effect to the respiratory tract, which speeds onset of action of the medicine and
reduces side effects compared to other means of delivering these medicines.[2]

Usually, the aerosolized medicine is inhaled through a tube-like mouthpiece, similar

to that of an inhaler. The mouthpiece, however, is sometimes replaced with a face
mask, similar to that used for inhaled anaesthesia, for ease of use with young
children or the elderly, although mouthpieces are preferable if patients are able to
use them since facemasks result in reduced lung delivery because of aerosol losses
in the nose.[1]

After use with corticosteroid, it is theoretically possible for patients to develop a

yeast infection in the mouth (thrush) or hoarseness of voice (dysphonia), although
these conditions are clinically very rare. To avoid these adverse effects, some
clinicians suggest that the person who used the nebulizer should rinse his or her
mouth. This is not true for bronchodilators; however, patients may still wish to rinse
their mouths due to the unpleasant taste of some bronchodilating drugs.