How to Use a Nebuliser

Use of a nebulizer is an effective means of administering inhaled asthma medication. A person breathes in a fine mist of medication to get as much down into the lungs as possible. This allows the treatment to work faster, helping an individual to breathe easier. Many individuals with asthma or other lung diseases use a nebulizer at home. Although using the device is not difficult, there are some basic instructions that you must follow. According to researchers at Michigan State University, inappropriate use of a home nebulizer can contribute to poor management of asthma symptoms, in addition to other possible complications (see References).

Difficulty: Moderate

Instructions

1. Wash and dry your hands before handling the nebulizer. Keep the nebulizer equipment clean to prevent the growth of bacteria, particularly the parts that get wet during treatment.

2. Fill the medicine cup with the prescribed dosage of medication. You can use a medicine dropper to measure, however, some medication now comes in single use vials. Twist the top off the plastic vial and squeeze the entire contents of the vial into the medicine cup.

3. Attach the mouthpiece to the medicine cup. A mouthpiece delivers more medication than a mask and is recommended for use by adults and children older than two or three years of age.

4. Connect one end of the plastic tubing to the bottom of the medicine cup and the other end to the compressor. The tubing needs to be attached securely so that air is delivered to the medicine cup. Force air into the nebulizer by covering the air hole with your finger.

5. Sit upright holding the nebulizer in a vertical position. Sitting upright allows a person to take deeper breaths. However, an infant or toddler may be in a reclining position.

6. Place the mouthpiece between your teeth, closing your lips around it. Turn on the compressor at the on/off switch. Exhale gently before slowly inhaling deep breaths through your mouth. Each breath should last about five minutes. Place your finger over the air valve hole.

7. Hold your breath for 10 seconds before exhaling. This gives the medication time to reach the airway.

8. Stop the mist by uncovering the valve hole at the end of each deep breath. Continue the treatment until the medicine cup empties. Most times treatments last for about 10 minutes. The machine may start to sputter when the medicine cup is almost empty.

Tips & Warnings

• Locate the compressor of the machine on a level surface near an electrical outlet. Wash the nebulizer mouthpiece and medicine cup in hot soapy water after each use. Rinse after washing and then allow to air dry. When a nebulizer is prescribed as a preventive measure, treatments are usually recommended twice each day. Sometimes a nebulizer is used only when symptoms such as coughing, wheezing or shortness of breath are present.
• Contact your doctor if symptoms fail to improve within 20 minutes following treatment, or symptoms persist and you need another treatment within two hours.

References

• How to Use a Nebulizer -- General Information
• How to Use a Nebulizer
• Asthma Worse When Nebulizers Improperly Used

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