Nebulizer for asthma treatment
A nebulizer is sometimes used for asthma because:
- The medication can be given over a longer period of time.
- It may be easier to use for small children or for people who have serious difficulty breathing or have trouble using an inhaler.
A nebulizer uses a face mask or mouthpiece to deliver medication in the form of a fine mist (aerosol). You breathe in the nebulized medication through the mouthpiece
or face mask
In general, a nebulizer may not always be the best choice for delivering daily asthma medications to children because it:
- Is difficult to keep the mask on the child's face for the length of time needed for each treatment.
- Can be more expensive to use than a metered-dose inhaler (MDI).
- Can deliver more medication than is needed, compared with an inhaler and a spacer
| Author: | Maria G. Essig, MS, ELS | Last Updated: March 20, 2009 |
| Medical Review: | Michael J. Sexton, MD - Pediatrics Harold S. Nelson, MD - Allergy and Immunology | |
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