What Are The Different Types Of Nebulizers Available?
If you know asthma, you would also know about nebulizer treatment. It is the doctor-prescribed inhalation treatment that helps an asthmatic person to breathe easily. It is a highly effective breathing treatment especially for children and young adults, who don’t know how to use inhalers properly or suffer from severe asthma.
What is Nebulization?
Nebulization is a process that involves a nebulizer, which creates a mist of medicine that can be inhaled via a face mask or mouthpiece. Inhaled medication in the form of mist directly reaches the lungs. Nebulizer treatment works on this procedure and assists an asthmatic person lead a healthy and comfortable life. While some nebulizer devices are portable that can be carried around easily, others are similar to the plug-and-use system and require electricity to run.
To know more about how does a nebulizer work, click here.
Advantages of Using a Nebulizer
The use of nebulizer is quite common for people who suffer from asthma or COPD. It eases the lives of people living with asthma and COPD and is more effective in people who experience severe bouts of breathlessness or wheezing that cannot be managed well by inhalers.
• Nebulizer usage requires minimal coordination for inhalation and no manual actuation, suitable for children who aren’t mature enough to use inhalers.
• Nebulizers are safe to be used on infants as well as aged people.
• It works excellently on people with a low measure of inspiratory flow.
• Medicinal dosage can be adjusted as required by the patient.
• Different types of nebulizers are compatible with a variety of liquid medicines.
Different Types of Nebulizers
1. Mesh Nebulizer: As the name suggests, mesh nebulizers consist of mesh plate with tiny holes that dispense liquid medication into small mist particles that is easily and comfortably inhaled by the user. These nebulizers are relatively recent in the market, have silent operation and it completes the therapy in 10 minutes. Mesh nebulizers are also portable, giving you the freedom to carry them around.
2. Jet Nebulizer: Opposite to the modern mesh nebulizers, jet nebulizers are sturdy, conventional, and non-portable. They have been around for several years and have become one of the most used inexpensive breathing treatment devices in the market. A jet nebulizer uses a compressor to turn liquid medicine into a fine mist particle, which can be easily inhaled.
3. Ultrasonic Nebulizer: This nebulizer uses ultrasonic waves to provide medication in the form of spray mist, which can then be inhaled by the asthmatic person. Ultrasonic nebulizers can only be used for nebulizing medication available in solution form and not suspension form.
How to Use a Jet Nebulizer?
Different nebulizers are used differently, but there are a few factors to keep in mind while using a nebulizer.
• Clean your hands and connect the nebulizer tubing to an air compressor.
• Fill in the medicine cup of the nebulizer with prescribed medicine. To avoid any spills, close the medicine cup tightly and hold the mouthpiece straight.
• Now, attach the mouthpiece/facemask and tubing with the medicine cup.
• Place the mouthpiece in your mouth and breath through your mouth until all the medicine is inhaled. The process will take around 10 to 15 minutes.
• Turn the device off when there is no more medicine left for nebulization.
• Clean the nebulizer as instructed by the nebulizer manual regularly to ensure best functioning and safety.
With the benefits of using a nebulizer one must Know A Few Things Before Using A Nebulizer At Home. If you are an asthmatic read more on How To Monitor Your Asthma At Home During These Times.