When Would I Need a Nebulizer Treatment?

When your child has an asthma attack, they need medication fast. The quickest way to get it into their lungs and help them breathe easier is to use a nebulizer. Here’s how it works.

If your infant or child suffers from asthma or other respiratory conditions, they’ve likely experienced at least one bout of desperate coughing and gasping for air. The episodes can be scary and traumatizing, and during an attack, only one thing matters — fast, effective relief. But inhalers, although portable and quick-acting, can be tricky for some kids to master.

That’s where the nebulizer comes in. Also known as a breathing treatment, nebulizers help anyone who suffers from a respiratory problem overcome acute attacks and respiratory challenges quickly and easily.

Our team at The Center For Advanced Pediatrics, based in two locations in Norwalk, Connecticut, and Darien, Connecticut, offers nebulizer treatments to help your child or loved one relieve the symptoms of their respiratory condition so they can relax and breathe easily. Here’s what you need to know.

How the nebulizer machine works

Nebulizers turn liquid medication into an aerosol so anyone who has difficulty using an inhaler (even adults) can breathe in the fine mist and get near-immediate relief. A nebulizer isn’t portable like an inhaler; it runs on electricity and needs to be connected to an outlet.

The nebulizer machine transforms the medication into a fine mist and transports that mist through a tube and into a mouthpiece or face mask, delivering breathable medication that gets into the lungs quickly and requires no training.

Who needs a nebulizer?

Nebulizers are popular treatments for children because they allow parents to treat their children who are too young or otherwise unable to use an inhaler effectively. But anyone who finds inhalers challenging to use can benefit from a nebulizer.

Nebulizers are designed to help people who suffer from chronic respiratory conditions, including:

Asthma
Cystic fibrosis
Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD)
Pneumonia
Severe allergic reactions
Coughing spells
Wheezing
Shortness of breath

Acute attacks, respiratory emergencies, and chronic lung conditions can all benefit from a breathing treatment with a nebulizer.

Types of medicine that can be nebulized

Whether you have asthma, a respiratory infection, or other condition requiring quick-acting medication that your lungs can readily absorb, nebulizers deliver a wide range of medications, including:

Antibiotics
Corticosteroids
Mucolytics
Bronchodilators
Albuterol
Short- and long-acting beta-agonists
Epinephrine

We can also perform urgent nebulizer treatments to resolve acute attacks and also help you manage your symptoms long-term.

If you or your child suffer from respiratory problems, a nebulizer offers a simple way to take your medicine and get immediate relief. To learn more about nebulizer treatments, schedule an appointment today.