People very often have to deal with respiratory diseases, both in children and adults. The effectiveness of their treatment depends on both the correctly selected drug and the correct method of drug delivery into the patient’s respiratory tract. Often, it is an inhaler (nebulizer) that is the most efficient method, since the medicine selected for treatment is delivered directly to the respiratory tract. Small-Sized Inhalation Therapy for Respiratory Diseases

What is the advantage of using inhalers (nebulizers)?

There are three main points to note:

the medicine begins to act much faster;
a smaller dose of the drug is required for the treatment;
the risk of side effects is significantly reduced.

One of the main parameters of the effectiveness of an inhalation device is the so-called drug deposition in the patient’s airways, i.e. how much of the drug of the metered dose will be deposited in the airways. It is this indicator that directly depends on the “size of aerosol particles”. The size is indicated by the manufacturers in the technical characteristics of their devices.

But this does not mean that the smaller the particles, the more effectively you will be treating respiratory diseases of your baby or adult family member. It all depends on the specific disease (diagnosis) of the patient. So, for more than a decade in medicine, the following approximate gradation of the conditional size distribution of aerosol particles in the respiratory tract, depending on their size, has been used:

5-10 microns – drug deposition in the larynx, oropharynx and trachea;
2-5 microns – drug deposition in the lower respiratory tract;
0.5-2 microns – deposition in the alveoli;
less than 0.5 microns – do not deposit in the lungs at all.

Ultrasonic nebulizers with particle size – 0.5-2 microns

During operation, this type of inhaler produces an aerosol with particles on average from 0.5 to 2 microns and over. Thus, these devices allow you to process all parts of the respiratory tract, but they fight more effectively with diseases of the middle and lower sections, since the particles are small enough and penetrate deeply, they practically do not remain in the upper section. With the help of ultrasound devices, it is advisable to treat bronchi and lungs.

Small-sized inhalation therapy advantages

In case of he lower respiratory tract diseases, namely the larynx, trachea, bronchi, lungs, inhalation should be carried out through the mouth. It is better to use a mouthpiece. During inhalation, it is necessary to make a deep breath with holding the breath for a couple of seconds, while making a full exhalation through the nose.
For diseases of the upper respiratory tract, nose, paranasal sinuses (sinusitis, frontal sinuses), nasopharynx, inhalation must be carried out through the nose using nasal cannulas. Breathing is calm, even.
It is necessary to fill the nebulizer chamber with exactly as much medicine as is necessary for 1 procedure.
During inhalation, if deep breathing occurs, it is recommended to pause for 10-15 seconds to avoid dizziness.
Continue inhalation until the medicine is completely over, usually up to 10 minutes.
At the end of inhalation, add 1-2 ml of saline to the chamber with the medicine and shake the nebulizer to reduce the loss of the medicinal substance.
After inhalation of antibiotics or steroid drugs, it is recommended to rinse your mouth with boiled water at room temperature.
Also, after inhalation, rinse the nebulizer with clean water (distilled if possible) and dry using tissues or a stream of warm air (using a hair dryer). This must be done in order to prevent crystallization of drugs and contamination of the nebulizer with bacteria.
If during the procedure you notice changes in the color of the medicine, then the procedure should be stopped immediately and the solution removed from the chamber.

0,5-2 microns for pneumonia treatment

Pneumonia is a disease of the lungs of predominantly infectious origin. It damages the lung endings – alveoli and impaired gas exchange at their level. The alveoli fill with fluid or purulent material, causing coughing with sputum, rarely hemoptysis, fever, chills, and shortness of breath. A variety of microorganisms can cause pneumonia, including bacteria, viruses, and fungi.

This disease has a very complex nature. Therefore, medical workers recommend complex treatment of pneumonia, including inhalation therapy.

Inflammation and inhalation

Inhalation for pneumonia is one of the components in the full range of therapy. This type of physiotherapy for pneumonia significantly reduces the time to complete recovery due to the direct delivery of drugs to the focus of the disease location.

Inhalation acts as a thinner, removing accumulated phlegm, restoring the full function of the internal organs.

Microparticles of drugs (0.5-2 microns) do not affect other organs, as in the variant with other methods of treating the disease, which significantly increases the possibility of using it for the treatment of children and the elderly.

Can inhalation be done for pneumonia? Definitely, it is. But, you should be cautious, follow all instructions and notes of the medical staff on this matter. Before making any inhalations, it is mandatory to consult a doctor. The doctor will define the right disease cause, the dosage of the drug, and possible therapy duration.