4 Nebulizer Tips Worth Sharing

So, you have a Nebulizer System. One of the main reasons you have it is to inhale medicine to help you breathe easier. Here are some tips to making sure it’s ready for use when you need it.

Keep in mind that a nebulizer system includes a nebulizer cup, tubing, and an air compressor. The medicine usually comes in amps premixed with normal saline. They are all available only with a prescription from your doctor. So, here are my four tips.

1. Keep a spare nebulizer and tubing nearby at all times.

So many times in the past I needed a breathing treatment right now but didn’t have a nebulizer cup or tubing. There were a few times the tubing was missing. And there were quite a few times where the nebulizer cup broke and wasn’t usable. In some of these cases, I didn’t have spares. So, I have learned it’s a good idea to always have spare nebulizers and oxygen tubing available. I usually keep one or two spare nebulizers, along with tubing and medicine in a box in my bedroom closet.

2. Make sure you have plenty of medicine.

So many times I needed a breathing treatment only to not have the medicine available. This is easy to do because episodes between asthma attacks can last for several weeks or months at a time. When you’re asthma is doing well it’s easy to forget about stocking up on medicine. So, you should at least have one box of rescue medicine available at all times.

3. Check the air compressor filter and change it as needed.

When you start a treatment, there should be a nice plume of white mist to inhale. If this mist is weak the first thing I do is check to make sure I put the medicine in the cup. The second thing I do is make sure the nebulizer is in good condition. If those checks pass, the next logical step is to check the filter. If it's clogged, air can't get into the compressor, so the flow produced will be weak. Old filters are easy to snap out. New filters are easy to snap into the opening. Please, don't wait until the filter fails to work to replace it. If you read the package insert, it should give you instructions on how often you should change it. New filters are available from the supplier of your nebulizer.

4. Make sure you always know where your nebulizer and air compressor are.

In my house, there are three asthmatics. So, for this reason, we have to have separate nebulizers for me and my asthmatic children, plus spares. Also, for this reason, the air compressor gets moved around quite a bit. Sometimes it gets unused for long periods of time and might get shoved into a corner, or get clothes tossed on top of it. So, it can become lost. Don’t let this happen to you. When you’re done using it, make sure you put it back into its normal storage place. For me, this is my closet next to my nebulizer supplies. When I need it, or when my kids need it, it's easy to find.

So, these are my four tips. I’m sure you have some of your own tips to add to this list. If so, please feel free to share them in the comments below.