What Are Nebulizer Treatments?

If your child is diagnosed with asthma or a respiratory infection, your Hicksville pediatrics may prescribe a nebulizer to help manage their symptoms. The device given to you may seem frightening and challenging to use, but it is more accessible than it looks.

What Does a Nebulizer Do?

Similarly to an inhaler, the purpose of a nebulizer is to administer medicine into the lungs. The medication is taken simply from breathing normally. When medication is inserted into the medicine cup, the nebulizer turns it into an easily inhaled mist. The device itself comes with the following items:

A medicine cup
A mask or mouthpiece
Compressor tubing

Assembling the nebulizer is simple and should not take more than a few minutes to complete.

Why Use a Nebulizer?

You might be confused as to why your Hicksville Pediatrics prescribed a nebulizer instead of an inhaler. There is one significant difference between the two that might make your doctor choose one over the other. The reason is that nebulizers are easier to use.

Inhalers require a sharp and deep intake of air to take the medication inside. For young children or someone with a respiratory infection, this may not be easy to do. With a nebulizer, all your child needs to do is take deep breaths for a few minutes.

How to Use a Nebulizer

Your Hicksville Pediatrics will explain to you in-depth how to use a nebulizer. Here are the steps:

Wash your hands thoroughly.
Add the medicine into the medicine cup.
Assemble the tubing and mouthpiece.
Attach the tubing to the machine.
Turn the nebulizer on. You should see mist coming out of the mouthpiece.
Take slow, deep breaths into the mouthpiece while holding the medicine cup upright.
Once the medicine cup is empty, your treatment is complete.

After your child finishes their nebulizer treatment, disassemble the tubing, mouthpiece, and medicine cup, disinfect it, and wash with warm, soapy water. After the pieces air dry, pack away the nebulizer and keep it in a safe place.

How Hicksville Pediatrics Can Help

If you’re worried or have any questions, Hicksville Pediatrics can help! At Pediatrics Associates of Plainview, we’ll walk you through the process step-by-step so that you can focus on your child’s care. Whether it’s for long-term asthma treatment or an infection, we will make sure your child gets the nebulizer treatment they need. Give us a call to make an appointment!