InteliHealth:

NULL

When Does A Nebulizer Help?

A nebulizer is a machine that creates a fine, drug-infused mist that can be breathed into the lungs. Although a nebulizer may be easier to use than an inhaler, especially if you are breathing rapidly and can't coordinate your breathing with an inhaler, it won't help the average person with asthma any more than an inhaler will. That's because the droplets of drugs sprayed from an inhaler are even tinier than those from a nebulizer. The smaller the particles, the more likely they can travel through smaller and smaller air tubes to the farthest reaches of the lungs.

People with severe asthma are likely to have severe attacks that require the use of nebulizer machines. For them, having a nebulizer at home can help prevent frequent visits to a health-care provider or hospital.

For infants and children, nebulizers deliver drugs to the lungs more effectively than inhalers do.

Last updated March 15, 2004

Printer-friendly format

© 1996-2009 Aetna InteliHealth Inc. All rights reserved. All information is intended for your general knowledge only and is not a substitute for medical advice or treatment for specific medical conditions. You should seek prompt medical care for any specific health issues and consult your physician before starting a new fitness regimen. Use of this online service is subject to the disclaimer and the terms and conditions. External website links provided on this site are meant for convenience and for informational purposes only; they do not constitute an endorsement. These external links open in a different window. Aetna InteliHealth subscribes to the HONcode principles principles of the Health On the Net Foundation. "InteliHealth" and "The Trusted Source" are trademarks of Aetna InteliHealth Inc.

•	Complementary & Alternative Medicine
•	Fitness
•	Nutrition
•	Weight Management
•	Workplace Health

•	Children's Health
•	Men's Health
•	Seniors' Health
•	Women's Health
•	More

•	Medical Dictionary
•	Diseases and Conditions
•	Drug Resource Center
•	More

•	Addiction
•	Allergy
•	Alzheimer's Disease
•	Anemia
•	Arthritis
•	Asthma
•	Breast Cancer
•	Cancer
•	Cholesterol
•	Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease
•	Chronic Pain
•	Dementia
•	Depression
•	Diabetes
•	Digestive
•	Digestive-Tract Cancer
•	Ear, Nose And Throat Disorders
•	Epilepsy
•	Eyes
•	Feet
•	Glaucoma
•	HIV/AIDS
•	Hair Loss
•	Headache
•	Heart And Circulatory
•	High Blood Pressure
•	Impotence
•	Infertility
•	Kidney Disease
•	Low Back Pain
•	Lyme Disease
•	Memory Loss
•	Mental Health
•	Multiple Sclerosis
•	Osteoarthritis
•	Pregnancy
•	Prostate Cancer
•	Rheumatoid Arthritis
•	Sexual And Reproductive Health
•	Sexually Transmitted Diseases
•	Skin Cancer
•	Sleep
•	Stress
•	Stroke
•	Weight Management