Inhalations with nebulizer

Nebulized therapy is a modern effective method of treatment for respiratory diseases. By turning a pharmaceutical substance into a kind of fog, a nebulizer ensures delivery of the drug product to the focus of disease and enhances its effectiveness. Possibility to adjust the particles size makes it possible to utilize another advantage of a nebulizer – its ability to localize delivery of the drug product in the affected section of the respiratory tract: nose, larynx, nasopharynx, bronchi, and alveoli.

Advantages of nebulized therapy

Inhalations with a nebulizer practically have no contraindications and can be performed at home. Such therapy has a number of advantages:

• fast delivery of a drug product to the focus of the disease;
• reduced risk of adverse effects;
• accelerated exposure to the drug product;
• precise dosage;
• a wide range of indications for use;
• possibility to use for treatment of children and patients with any physical condition.

Indications and contraindications for inhalations with nebulizer

In most cases, the drug is administered via a nebulizer in coughing, common cold, and other respiratory diseases. Besides, the nebulized therapy is prescribed for the following diagnoses:

• bronchial asthma, obstruction;
• infectious lesions of the lower respiratory tract;
• chronic obstructive pulmonary disease in adults;
• pneumonia;
• tuberculosis and other diseases.

Contraindications to the use of nebulizers include heart rhythm disorder, internal bleeding, individual intolerance to the aerosol form of drug products.

Features of treatment for respiratory organs diseases by inhalation

Inhalations with a nebulizer in dry cough imply the use of drugs for elimination of swelling, bronchospasm, facilitation of breathing. Productive cough is treated with the use of moisturizing and expectorant drugs that facilitate phlegm discharge.
Inhalations with a nebulizer in nasal cold and viral lesions of the upper respiratory tract are performed with antiseptics, antiviral and immunomodulating agents, drugs that are used to curb infections, eliminate edema and facilitate breathing.

A nebulizer can be used to perform inhalations both for children and for adults. In the first case, a child’s mask should be fixed, and the dosage of the drug product prescribed by the doctor should be strictly observed.

How to properly perform inhalation with a nebulizer

1. To perform an inhalation, sit up straight and hold the nebulizer in an upright position.
2. If you have a disease that is localized in the nose and nasopharynx area, inhale and exhale with your nose. The best option is to use nasal cannula.
3. If the disease is located in the larynx, trachea or bronchial tubes, inhale with your mouth and exhale with your nose. Use an actuator, a mouthpiece or a mask.
4. Dilute the drug products for inhalation only with normal saline (0.9% sodium chloride) according to the rules of antiseptics.
5. After the inhalation with antibiotics or hormones, rinse your mouth.
6. Upon completion of the inhalation, rinse the nebulizer with clean water and disinfect relevant accessories.