Breathing is one of the most common activities that we all do on a regular basis and certain conditions like COPD (Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disorder), asthma, etc. can cause trouble in your body’s airways thus making it difficult to perform this essential task properly. The ideal form of therapy that provides relief for this sort of breathing problems is known as ‘Aerosol’ treatment and it can relax the airway muscles which will allow you to breathe easily. This is made possible through delivering medicine in a small mist form into the lungs and a device known as a Nebulizer/Compressor will aid you in changing the medication which is in a liquid form into that form. The duration of usage of this therapy will usually be short-term, for illnesses like pneumonia and bronchitis while COPD or asthma will require it to be performed for a long-term.

What You Need for This

If a nebulizer is prescribed by your doctor in order to treat your breathing issues, you can use a handheld kit that will generally consist of tubing, a medication cup/bowl and a mouthpiece that can be used for inhaling the medication. This medication must be prescribed by your physician and you will also require an eyedropper/syringe that can be used for dispensing/measuring it and a compressor that will turn it into mist form through a stream of pressurized air. Before starting the procedure make sure to keep the compressor on stable, flat surface and power it up using electricity or battery power, depending on the device. It is also important to sit up straight in a comfortable chair which has a straight back too.

Using the Device

After thoroughly washing your hands, the nebulizer’s top needs to be removed and the medication needs to be measured and put into the nebulizer’s cup by diluting it with a substance like normal saline. Then the nebulizer top needs to be reattached along with the tubing and the mouthpiece. An aerosol therapy mask can also be used instead of the mouthpiece. Afterwards turn on the compressor so that the medication is turned into mist form. Once it becomes visible to you, inhale the mist in slow, deep breaths and each inhalation should be held for at least for around 5 seconds as that will allow the medicine to reach your respiratory tract effectively. This needs to be repeated until there is no mist left and by giving a tap to the cup of the nebulizer, you will be able to use even the last drops of the medication and once it is finished you can turn the compressor off.

Cleaning the Equipment

Once the treatment is finished make sure to properly clean the used equipment for later use and this should be done in a location free from smoke and dust. The cup, mouthpiece/mask of the nebulizer needs to be taken apart and thoroughly rinsed with warm water and do not forget to unplug the compressor as well. The tubing which is used to connect the device to the compressor will not require any cleaning. Finally allow the parts to be dried by air after shaking off the excess water and placing them on a dry, clean cloth.

By using quality equipment for this aerosol therapy you will not only be able to find relief for all your breathing conditions but it can also be used to fight infections as well.