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Navigating around the functions of a nebulizer can be challenging, especially when you might be new to using this respiratory device. Though you might have a comprehensive and helpful manual on hand, you could be feeling lost when it comes to the dos and don’ts of using a nebulizer. Read on to find out about the common mistakes you might not even know you are making and should avoid in the future. 

Using the Nebulizer During Sleep

Do you know that nebulizing while you are asleep is one mistake that many patients make? Unfortunately, many of them are not aware that using the nebulizer in this way is ineffective in dispensing your respiratory medicine. Your mouth would be naturally closed, and your breathing will slow down when you are sleeping – making it difficult for you to inhale the full dosage and for the nebulized particles to deposit in the right area of your respiratory tract system. 

Replacing Medication With Water

Use your nebulizer with anything other than a prescribed medication from the doctor could be detrimental to your health. Many patients use tap or distilled water from home as a diluent for their medicine and are unaware that they inhale its unfiltered contents. Research has shown that inhaling nebulized water can aggravate the condition of asthmatic patients and provoke bronchoconstriction. Therefore, it is ideal to use only the doctor’s prescribed medication or consult a medical professional before using your nebulizer. 

Loosening the Face Mask 

One common mistake that many patients make is loosening the fit of their face masks. Unfortunately, this will significantly affect the effectiveness of the medicine as you will not be receiving the total dosage as prescribed by your doctor. It would be best to secure the mask and mouthpiece tightly to prevent the medicine-infused saline solution from leaking. This ensures that the particles dispensed from the nebulizer are inhaled fully and helps deposit the nebulized medicine in the right area of your respiratory tract. 

Using Heat to Sterilize the Nebulizer

Many components of your nebulizer are made with polycarbonate or plastic. As a result, your nebulizer might be particularly sensitive to heat. In addition, sterilizing your ampoules and medication chambers by immersing them in boiling water can damage the integrity of their material, and this would reduce the effectiveness of dispensing your medication. Therefore, it is always wise to read the instruction manual or call your manufacturer for more information before using your nebulizer. Keeping a spare at home is also good practice if you lose it or damage it unintentionally. 

Utilizing the Wrong Accessories and Units

When purchasing your nebulizer for your respiratory condition, it is vital that you are buying the device and its accessories from the same manufacturer. The company will usually invest extensively in research and development to design the nebulizer and its accessories to ensure they fit and complement each other perfectly and provide you with the best possible therapy and experience. Mixing and matching different equipment and accessories from various brands can adversely affect the effectiveness and quality of your nebulizer.

Delivering You the Best Quality

At Patient Solutions, we are committed to delivering you the highest-quality, industry-standard equipment to suit your medical needs. We pride ourselves in being the number one choice for our active-duty military personnel, veterans, and their families in San Antonio. We are happy to offer our services and equipment to any business or individuals based in the United States.