How to do inhalation | Price comparison e-Catalog

By delivering medications directly to the respiratory system, inhalations help reduce mucosal edema, relieve inflammation, stop coughing attacks, and promote sputum discharge. Inhalation treatment can be indicated for tonsillitis, runny nose, bronchitis, allergies, pharyngitis, asthma attacks, as well as bacterial and fungal diseases of the respiratory tract. In this article we will tell you how to do inhalation correctly in everyday conditions, and what means to use for this.

important! Treatment with inhalations is recommended strictly according to the doctor's prescription.

Inhalation by improvised means

Inhalation is easy to do in everyday conditions with the help of improvised means: a kettle, a bowl or other suitable container. The procedure can be:

hot (steam) — inhaling the vapors of medicinal herbs. The water should have a temperature of 50 – 60 °C.
cold (warm-moist) — inhalation of vapors of essential oils dissolved in water no higher than 40 °C. It is most often used for the treatment of young children and the elderly.

To perform inhalation , it is necessary:

Prepare a container, pour water of the required temperature into it, add medicines. If a kettle is used, it is recommended to insert cardboard or thick paper rolled up in a funnel into the spout. This will allow the steam to penetrate directly into the mouth and nose without affecting the entire face.
Put the container on the table, sit down and take a comfortable pose. Lean over the container at a distance of 20-30 cm –
Cover yourself with a blanket or towel. Breathe deeply through your mouth or nose, depending on the nature of the disease.

It is absolutely impossible to do inhalations over boiling water, in order to avoid burns of the upper respiratory tract, face

As medicines for inhalation , they are used:

soda dissolved in water (4 teaspoons per 1 liter of water);
a mush of garlic or onion in a ratio of 1:10 with water;
decoctions of St. John's wort, chamomile, eucalyptus, pine buds, cedar needles (3 tablespoons per liter);
essential oils, based on 3 – 5 drops per liter;
boiled "in uniform", potatoes broken into pieces.

If the need for inhalations occurs rarely, it is convenient and economical to use improvised home remedies, although not completely safe. After all, the dishes can be accidentally knocked over and get burned. To do inhalations often and safely, especially for young children, a special nebulizer helps.

Popular household inhalers

Nebulizer: features and benefits

A nebulizer is a device consisting of an engine compartment, a container for a medicinal substance and a set of nozzles. The nozzles are different and are selected depending on the area to be treated:

mouth nozzle — delivers medicine deep into the lower respiratory tract;
mask for children or adults – has a therapeutic effect on the upper respiratory tract;
nasal nozzle — used for the treatment of sinusitis, rhinitis.

Nebulizer inhalation has advantages over the procedure performed over a conventional household container:

the possibility of changing the particle size to the smallest, capable of penetrating deeply into the lower respiratory tract (in individual models);
disinfection of bronchi, lungs;
continuous supply of medicine;
the device can be taken with you and used anywhere (for portable models);
you can do inhalations to the baby;
it is not necessary to adhere to special breathing techniques;
aerosols are absorbed faster.

Inhalers for children

important! Any inhalation is contraindicated at a body temperature above 37.5 degrees.

Before you figure out how to breathe properly with a nebulizer, you need to study their types and differences between them. This will allow you to choose the device that will meet the stated requirements as much as possible.

There are three main types of nebulizers:

Steam nebulizer

The steam inhaler is an electrical device with a nozzle and a compartment for the solution, and operates on the principle of a container with hot water – the water is heated to 45 degrees, the liquid turns into steam and is inhaled by the patient.

Steam nebulizer

The advantages of a steam nebulizer are the high temperature of the drug (52 — 57 °C) and the deep impact on the upper respiratory tract: trachea, larynx, nasopharynx.

Disadvantages of a steam inhaler:

does not warm up the lungs;
reduces the effectiveness of many medications;
it has many contraindications;
not all medicines can be injected into the body with steam.

In order for the steam nebulizer to give the desired result, you need to adhere to the following rules:

do inhalation an hour after eating;
the duration of the procedure is 5 – 15 minutes;
when treating the nasal cavity, inhale / exhale through the nose without holding your breath;
in diseases of the throat, trachea, steam is inhaled through the mouth, the stomach bulges. Then, for 2-3 seconds, the breath is delayed and an energetic exhalation is made with simultaneous retraction of the abdomen.

Steam inhalers

important! With inflammatory processes of a purulent nature, for example, angina, steam inhalation cannot be done — the growth of pathogenic microorganisms increases.

Compressor nebulizer

This type of inhaler contains a compressor, a container for the drug and nozzles. The compressor delivers powerful streams of air into a flask with a medicinal solution, turning it into an aerosol cloud.

Compressor nebulizer

The disadvantages of the device are in noisy operation and size. It can be placed on a table, a bedside table, but can not be carried in a purse, pocket. Among the advantages of a compressor nebulizer are:

compatibility with almost all medications;
not hot steam, room temperature;
all kinds of design.

important! it is not recommended to use essential oils in compressor and ultrasonic nebulizers, since their concentration can cause an allergic reaction, and a thick consistency can clog the device. The exception is models with the possibility of changing the particle size.

Before doing inhalations with a compressor nebulizer, it is important to remember a number of rules:

do not talk after the procedure for an hour;
refrain from smoking, eating and drinking for at least a couple of hours after the procedure;
observe the exact dosage, remembering that even 1 extra milliliter of medication can cause overdose symptoms and worsen health.

Compressor inhalers

Ultrasonic nebulizer

The ultrasonic inhaler contains a special plate that vibrates at ultrasonic frequencies and breaks the medicinal liquid into drops no larger than 5 microns.

Ultrasonic nebulizer

The disadvantage of the UV nebulizer is in the short range, that is, it is impossible for the tube length to exceed 10 – 15 cm. For adults, this rule is not difficult to follow, but children may have difficulties. In addition, not all medications can be sprayed with ultrasound: some are either not sprayed at all, or useful substances are destroyed in them.

The advantages of the ultrasonic nebulizer are somewhat more:

the smallest particles penetrate deep into the body, effectively healing it;
comfortable temperature of the inhaled medicine;
the device is silent;
there are compact portable models with autonomous power supply that can be carried in your pocket and used when necessary.

How to properly do inhalation with a nebulizer of one type or another, the instructions for the model describe in detail. Usually, first you need to put medicine in the device, then put a mask on the lower part of the face or insert a nozzle into the mouth or nose, and turn on the device. The spray chamber must be placed perpendicular, and its lid must be hermetically sealed.

As you can see, the general procedure is quite simple, but there may be nuances in relation to the inhaler model.

Ultrasonic inhalers

important! After inhalation, it is necessary to lie under a blanket in a warm room with closed windows for 30 minutes to normalize breathing and consolidate the effect.

Choosing an inhaler for ease of use: pocket or household

If you are going to buy an inhaler, you should think not only about the therapeutic side of the issue, but also how to use the nebulizer so that the patient is practical and comfortable, taking into account his characteristics and needs. According to the principle of operation, inhalers are divided into household and pocket.

Household

Household nebulizers are also called stationary, since they are not designed for use “on the go”. They are powered mainly from the mains, in rare cases — additionally from the built-in battery. Sometimes they are equipped with a compartment for accessories. Any type of inhaler can be stationary: ultrasonic, compressor, steam. Advantages of the household model:

any size and design;
high performance;
a capacious tank for medicine.

Household nebulizer

Pocket

Pocket nebulizers, usually, are compact, and are powered by batteries, batteries and even a cigarette lighter. They are equipped with a protective case for comfortable wearing. The power of such inhalers is lower than household ones, but they cope with the task no less effectively. Pocket nebulizers include ultrasonic nebulizers.

Pocket nebulizers

Inhalations for children: what you need to remember

The process of inhalation for children differs from the treatment of adults. First of all, the difference is in the duration of the procedure — it is shorter for children. Another difference is in the process itself. Studying how to properly do inhalations for children, you need to take into account the individual characteristics of the baby, because not everyone can sit down and breathe with an inhaler.

Older children are recommended to tell in detail and show themselves what to do, how and why. Restless kids need to be carried away so that they do not jump up, do not spin and do not talk. You can turn on a cartoon or a children's programme. During the session, it is necessary to be near the child.

The position of the child during inhalation

Babies should be kept in a sitting position, holding the mask with your hand. The baby's attention needs to be distracted by something bright, interesting. If the child is scared and crying, the inhalation should be interrupted and the child should be allowed to calm down in order to avoid spasms, an attack of suffocation.

Inhalers for adults and children, usually, differ from each other. So, nebulizers for children are equipped with nozzles of a reduced size, and the body is made in the appropriate children's design, for example, it has the shape of an animal, a house, a cartoon character, is painted in bright colours. I must say that children's models usually contain attachments for adults. Therefore, if there are children in the house, you can safely buy an inhaler with a children's design and use it for all family members. But a nebulizer for adults may not be suitable for small children, you will have to buy nozzles.

important! The horizontal position of the body during the procedure can lead to breathing difficulties and lung problems.

Inhalation is an effective method of treating colds, infectious, allergic diseases of the nasopharynx, oral cavity, respiratory organs. Knowing the design features and differences of each type of nebulizer, you can choose a device that will help all family members in difficult moments. At the same time, it is extremely important to adhere to the doctor's recommendations and follow the rules of operation of the device. This will help to avoid health complications and use the nebulizer for many years.