What is a Nebulizer and How to Use it?
If you are a new parent, this one is for you. For babies and children with severe breathing difficulties, nebulization is an easy way to administer the medication. A nebulizer can help treat respiratory problems in children. It also helps children to inhale medication whilst breathing normally. In the article below, you will learn about how a nebulizer functions and how to keep children calm while using one. A nebulizer is a medication delivery system that warms up a liquid medication and further turns it into a fine mist. The child inhales this through a mouthpiece or a face mask. The process of nebulization makes it easier for the child to breathe in the medication through the lungs. The doctor usually recommends a nebulizer when the child experiences shortness of breath or has swollen airways. These could be due to various conditions like asthma, cystic fibrosis, pneumonia, or severe allergy reactions. The symptoms for the same might include wheezing, coughing, rapid breathing, chest pain, etc. When nebulizers are properly used, they can easily help clean out the congestion in children to help them breathe better.
How to properly use a nebulizer on a child? 1. Make sure you wash your hands properly and dry them out thoroughly. 2. Assemble the nebulizer, tubing, and mask. 3. Fill in the medicine cup with the prescribed medication dosage and tightly close the medicine cap. 4. Connect one end of the tube to the medicine cup and the other end to the nebulizer. 5. Comfortably place the mask on the child’s face and carefully plug in the nebulizer. The mist would appear around the insides of the mask. Note: Older nebulizers can sometimes take as long as 25 minutes to deliver the medication. 6. Make sure you turn off the machine when the medication cup empties. 7. After usage, take the nebulizer apart and wash the mask and the medicine cup thoroughly in warm soapy water. Let it air dry completely before storing it in a clean place.
They are always a good option for children suffering from severe breathing problems and respiratory issues. But one should always make sure to use only the prescribed dosage of medication and follow the instructions properly.