Nebulizer Breathing Treatments
Providing Relief for Patients Sick and Having Difficulty Breathing
Patients having difficulty breathing can gain relief from a breathing treatment. We offer breathing treatments to patients using a breathing device called a nebulizer. A nebulizer changes liquid medicine into fine droplets in an aerosol or mist form. These treatments can provide instant relief to patients having a taxing effort to breath. Patients inhale these droplets using a mask. Common for a nebulizer is the delivery of bronchodilator medications like albuterol (Xopenex).
Common Side Effects from a Nebulizer Treatment
While most patients are able to use a nebulizer without difficulty, some common side effects are:
- headaches
- dizziness
- insomnia
- coughing
- hoarseness and sore throat,
- runny or stuffy nose,
- nausea
Understanding Nebulizer Breathing Treatments
Despite such relatively rare side effects, a nebulizer breathing treatment is an effective way ensure quick and thorough relief for patients with respiratory ailments including asthma and COPD. Patients are able to inhale medication directly into the lungs, helping to ease airway inflammation and facilitating easier breathing. If you have difficulty using a metered dose inhaler because it requires you to hold your breath for too long, then a nebulizer may be the correct solution for you.
If Dr. Alla Weisz directs you to use a nebulizer, you will be given instructions as to how often to use it and exactly how much should to use each time. We will advise about where to purchase the equipment you will need (your local drugstore) including the device, replacement filters and aerosol masks.
They come in both a portable style and a larger form factor that is sits on a table and plug in to the wall. Both have a base that houses the air compressor, a small reservoir to hold the liquid medication, and a tube that connects the two. Turning on the compressor forces air into the medicine reservoir, creating a fine mist. The mist is then fed into a hose connected to a mask or a mouthpiece used to inhale the mist.
Nebulizer Versus An Inhaler
One of the benefits of these treatments is that the patient can take more than one medication at a time. Two or more medications insert into the reservoir and inhaled simultaneously. Examples of common medications that are administered using this treatment are: albuterol, ipratropium, budesonide, and formoterol.
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