Patients suffering from respiratory diseases are often reliant on nebulizer treatment. It is a direct way of delivering medication to the lungs when needed. A nebulizer is a piece of medical equipment that has been in use for a long time. It is very effective in its delivery of medicine to the lungs. However, you need to know how often you should take it. So, how often can you do a nebulizer treatment? While answering this question, we’ll explore all that you need to know about this special medical machine that can be life-saving.
Who Needs a Nebulizer Treatment?
Even before you explore how often you can use a nebulizer machine, you need to first know if you are among the people who need this special medical machine. Here is a group of people that can use this medical machine:
- People who are suffering from asthma
- People suffering from chronic obstructive pulmonary diseases (COPD)
- People suffering from bronchiectasis
- People suffering from cystic fibrosis
The common factor that places this as the ones who need nebulizer treatment is that they all need medication right through to their lungs. Doctors can also prescribe this treatment to children suffering from respiratory infections.
Do You Need a Prescription to Use Nebulizer Treatment?
So that you can know how often you can do a nebulizer treatment, it is advisable that you get a prescription from a doctor. It is possible to get a compressor nebulizer online without a prescription. The machine itself is not the medication; it only works with medication. So, whilst you can get the machine without the prescription, you will need a prescription to get medication.
However, you also need to be aware that some medication requires specific types of nebulizers. Therefore, it is important to get a prescription from your doctor about the kind of nebulizer treatment that you are going to get. You can also talk to your pharmacist when buying the machine.
How Many Times Can You Use a Nebulizer Treatment in a Day?
This is an important question because you are not supposed to overuse this medication. Ideally, most doctors recommend that you use this treatment about 3-4 times daily when needed. Each treatment might last for about 10 minutes depending on the medication that you are taking.
However, you need to know that the kind of medication that you are undertaking should determine how often you use the nebulizer treatment. Therefore, do not start using it before you get directions from your doctor or pharmacist.
What Kind of Medication Can Be Used with Nebulizer Treatment?
The following are some types of medication that you can use a nebulizer for:
- Bronchodilators
These are drugs that clear the airways to ease the breathing process. Doctors may recommend bronchodilators if you have COPD, asthma, or any respiratory disease.
- Sterile saline solution
A nebulizer machine can help to deliver a sterile saline solution to the lungs to open the airways and loosen mucus to make it easy to cough them out of the lungs.
- Antibiotics
Some types of antibiotics can be delivered straight into the lungs using a nebulizer. A nebulizer is useful if a person has a severe respiratory infection and needs antibiotics delivered directly to the lungs.
Of course, your doctor can recommend other medication to be delivered through a nebulizer.
Does It Work Like an Inhaler?
The concept of an inhaler and a nebulizer is the same. They both work to deliver treatment directly into the lungs. In terms of function, a portable nebulizer works similarly to an inhaler. However, some differences in usage differentiate the two.
The most common type of inhaler involves inhaling a given amount of medication using a mouthpiece. The spacers in inhalers make it easy for patients to inhale the required amount of medication.
The main difference between an inhaler and a nebulizer is that a nebulizer is easier to use. It delivers medication easier compared to an inhaler. However, the user has to sit still for about 10 minutes for the medication to be dispensed.
Whilst there are portable nebulizers, they are relatively larger than inhalers, thus, making them difficult to carry around.
Dosage and Side Effects of Using a Nebulizer Treatment
The importance of sticking to the right dosage is important when using a nebulizer treatment. It is very easy for users to overdose because of the fast relief it offers when in need of it. However, as advised by the doctor, you should take a nebulizer treatment not more than 4 times a day. You will need to contact your doctor before you can take it more than 4 times a day.
Dosage: The dosage will be given to you depending on factors such as medication condition, age, weight, and how well or badly you respond to medication. Therefore, it is important to be under a doctor’s supervision while you are undertaking this medication.
Do not go beyond the dosage prescribed by the doctor.
Side effects: If you overuse the nebulizer treatment, you can increase the risk of side effects of the medication that you are using. It is important to note that overdose of some medication may be fatal. Therefore, the importance of sticking to the strict dosage requirements cannot be overemphasized.
Observation During a Nebulizer Treatment
If you are using a nebulizer treatment for the first time, you need to be under your doctor’s or pharmacist’s observation. Your response to the medication needs to be monitored to ensure that you are on the right path with the medication. You should contact your doctor immediately if you notice that the nebulizer treatment isn’t working well for you. You should also inform your doctor if the symptoms are not improving.
Summary
A nebulizer is a medical machine that delivers medication straight to the lungs. You now know the importance of using the right dosage and how often you can do a nebulizer treatment in a day. Always ensure that you follow the instructions when using this advanced medical equipment.