Nebulizer, an Effective Tool to Deliver Asthma Medication

Nebulizer is a tool that works to change the asthma medication from liquid to mist type. In this way, the medication can be easier to inhale to the lungs. In infants and also small children or other asthma sufferers that get difficulty in using inhaler, this tool is so much effective.

When a patient needs inhaled medication in a large dose, nebulizer will be a convenient tool needed. The using of nebulizer is commonly called as Breathing Treatment. There are kinds of asthma medications that use nebulizer as the tool; both the asthma symptom maintenance and the immediate relief.

There are two types of nebulizer; Tabletop Nebulizer (which is used at home) and Portable Nebulizer. Tabletop nebulizer is commonly designed in larger size and need electrical outlet to plug in. Meanwhile, the portable one works with batteries power; either disposable, rechargeable, or plug into cigarette lighter in a car. The portable nebulizer is designed in small size; a little bit larger than a cards deck. The small design enables it to be carried in bag, purse, backpack, or another place so it can be used whenever and wherever needed.

A nebulizer can be purchased with a prescription of a doctor that treat your asthma. Otherwise, you can dispense it from the office of a pediatrician because the breathing treatment is commonly administered at the office of the doctor. The cost of a nebulizer ranges from $50 and maybe more expensive. Besides, it also need some accessories that are available separately. Because of the smaller size, you can buy portable nebulizer in cheaper price. Both of the models are commonly covered by durable medical equipment portion in the health insurance policies. However, the insurance company usually has determined the medical equipment supplier with more durable products. You may need to check the insurance policy before purchase or rent a nebulizer. Or ask the health care provider to help the arrangement.

How to Use a Nebulizer?

There are some supplies that are needed to use a nebulizer, such as: nebulizer cup, air compressor, mouthpiece or mask, medication based on the dose, and also a compressor tubing. When you have prepared the supplies required, do some steps below to use the tool:

- Put the air compressor on a stable place so it supports the weight properly. Plug the compressor cord into a proper electrical outlet.

- Clean your hands properly with water and soap and then dry your hands completely before doing the asthma treatment.

- Measure the medication carefully and exactly based on the instruction and then put it into the nebulizer cup. Most asthma medications today have been made in one dose vial so you may not need measuring process. If you still need a measuring process, make sure every device is clean and used separately for every medication.

- Bring together the nebulizer cup and mask or mouthpiece.

- Make sure the tube has been connected to the nebulizer cup and also the aerosol compressor.

- Try to turn on the compressor so you will know that it works well. See the light mist that comes from the tube’s back; the mouthpiece’s opposite.

- Sit on a comfortable chair straightly during the treatment. If the treatment is done to a small child, sitting on your lap is allowable. Position the mask securely and comfortably on the face. If mouthpiece is the option, then you should position it between the teeth and then cover the lips around it.

- Breathe deeply and slowly, and hold every breath in 2-3 seconds if possible before you breath it out. In this way, you can help the medication settle into the airways.

- The medication will take about 10 minutes. And then the sputtering noise will come out from the nebulizer, whilst just a little medication remained.

- Stop the treatment if you feel dizzy or jitteriness and then take a rest for about 5 minutes. Then continue while breathing more slowly. Consult your health care provider if the dizziness still continue in the next treatments.

Pay attention to the running of the nebulizer during the treatment. So you can solve some problems that may happen. You should shake the cup when you notice sticky medication on the cup’s sides so the droplets are loosened. Ask the pediatrician about the using frequency of nebulizer and how long the treatment should be had. You also should get asthma action plan, which is an explanation about the medication using and the proper time. About the portable nebulizer, the model may have similar way to use, but it isn’t plugged in and in smaller handy size.

Take Care a Nebulizer Properly

You just need some simple steps to do the important cleaning and disinfecting process to the asthma nebulizer. Cleaning it properly will help preventing infection. Clean the nebulizer in a place that is free from dust and smoke as well as far from an opened window.

Some instructions below may guide you to clean a nebulizer:

- Clean the nebulizer soon after every treatment. Rinse the cup thoroughly by using warm water, shake the excess water off and then let it dry by air. The cup and mask or mouthpiece also should be washed in every day end. Use warm water plus a little bit mild detergent. Rinse the accessories well and then let them dry by the air. Whilst, the compressor tubing doesn’t need to be cleaned.

- Disinfect the equipment in every third day after the washing time. Use some vinegar with water solution or ready to use solution that can be purchased in the equipment supplier. The water vinegar can be made by mixing those two ingredients in the same amounts. Use it to soak the equipment for about 20 minutes and then rinse properly under a water stream. Shake the excess water off and then place on a paper towel until them dried by the air. Dry the equipment completely before you store them inside a zippered bag.

- Cover a clean cloth to the compressor when it isn’t used. Clean it with a clean damp cloth whenever required.

- Never put the compressor on the floor during the treatment or when you store it.

- For the medication. Store them in a dry and cool place. Read the instruction well because every medication needs different way of storing. Throw the medication away when they have changed the color or forming crystals.

Learn the Early Symptoms of Asthma

Asthma happens when the bronchial tubes are inflamed and the sticky secretion production is increasing inside the tubes. The tightened airways for the mucus filling and inflammation will cause the sufferers experiencing asthma. The most common symptoms of asthma are such as cough at nights; wheezing; breath shortness; as well as pain, pressure and tightness in chest. The symptoms of asthma may be different in every sufferer. Besides, the severity may also be mild or terrible based on the condition of each sufferer.

Some asthma patients can live without suffering any symptoms even though the disease is extended. However, they will have periodic worsening of the symptoms, which is named asthma attacks. The periodic symptoms worsening could be different in every sufferer; it could be every day, during exercise, or when being infected by virus like cold or another.

The mild asthma attack happens more common; with the opened up of airways within some minutes to some hours. In severe attack, the symptoms will last longer and need medical assistant immediately. You should know mild symptoms of asthma so the severe symptoms can be prevented and easier to control the disease.

Early Symptoms of Asthma

Early symptoms of asthma can be seen by the changing before the asthma attack. It could start before the asthma symptoms that are known and the worsening asthma signs in the earliest time. In mild symptoms, the sufferers commonly still can do their activities. However, the signs should be recognized so the asthma attack can be stopped or prevented from the worsening. The early signs of asthma are such as: frequent cough at nights, breath shortness or easily losing breath, weak or tiredness when exercise, coughing or wheezing when exercise, moody, upset or tired feeling, lung function decreasing as measured in peak flow meter, signs of allergy or cold, and difficult to sleep. When the early signs have been gotten, then you should take more medication.

The Symptoms of Asthma Attack

Asthma attack is a condition of when the muscle bands surround the airways are started to tighten or so called Bronchospasm. It causes the airways lining inflamed or swollen and then the cells on the airways lining make more mucus in thicker consistency. The inflammation, mucus and bronchospasm become the factors that cause wheezing, difficulty to breath, breath shortness, cough, and also can’t do activities normally. Besides, there are also some other symptoms of asthma attack, such as:

- Terrible wheezing
- Unstop coughing
- Pressure or chest pain
- Breath rapidly
- Retractions; the tightened chest and neck muscles
- Difficult to talk
- Sweaty and pale face
- Panic and anxiety feeling
- Fingernails and lips look blue

The asthma attack symptoms should be recognized immediately because the severity can escalate quickly. Immediate treatment like bronchodilator or asthma inhaler should be has immediately before it is going severe and you can’t use a peak flow meter at all. The lung tighten will happen gradually in asthma attack and the air movement isn’t enough. In this condition, you need emergency care immediately.

Inadequate treatment for asthma will make the sufferer difficult to speak and the color of the lips will be bluish. The color changing is named Cyanosis; a condition when you have less oxygen in blood. The asthma emergency should get aggressive treatment to prevent consciousness or die eventually. Follow the emergency instructions in asthma action plan whenever the asthma attack happens. Medical attention is needed because it belongs to life threatening.

Asthma Symptoms in Children

Asthma is one of the chronic illness’ leading causes in children and is suffered by 10% - 12% of children in US. The asthma incidence in children is increasing steadily for unknown reasons. This health issue can start from any age, but mostly it starts in age 5. Sometimes, children who suffer asthma don’t get wheezing symptom besides the chronic coughing. When the cough is suffered with recurrent bronchitis, the asthma could be unrecognized.

Uncommon Symptoms of Asthma

As described above, asthma is commonly showed with common symptoms such as coughing, wheezing, and also the breath shortness. However, the disease also could cause some unusual symptoms that look unrelated to the asthma symptoms. The uncommon symptoms of asthma could be such as breathing rapidly, fatigue, sighing, can’t do exercise property or so called exercise induced asthma, anxiety, nighttime asthma or sleeping difficulty, chronic cough, and/ or difficulty to concentrate.

On the other hand, the symptoms of asthma also look like the conditions of vocal cord dysfunction, bronchitis, and also heart failure. Because of the different symptoms that may happen in each sufferer, you should be aware of this health issue. Consult your doctor and also to those who suffer asthma for more information.

Infections that Cause Asthma Symptoms

The asthma trigger can also be caused by bacterial or virus infection inside your body. For example, when you got a cold virus. It could trigger the symptoms of asthma in you. Besides, asthma symptoms also can be triggered by the bacterial sinus infection. It is also a common condition when sinusitis is suffered with asthma in the same time.

For those who have suffered asthma, you should know the symptoms and signs of the infections in respiratory tract. It is important to call a health care provider soon so they can diagnose your health problems and give the proper treatment. For example, you might suffer some symptoms such as breath shortness increasing, breath difficulty, or bronchial infection that happens with wheezing. In those who don’t suffer asthma, the infection in bronchial may not cause the same symptoms. That is why you should understand your body and know the warning signs when the infection happens. Next, you should have appropriate medications as the doctor’s prescription so the infection can be eliminated and the asthma and health regain can be regain as well.

With a good treatment and the avoidance to everything that might trigger asthma symptoms, the worsening symptoms of asthma can be eliminated. Then you can live healthier and much longer with too often asthma attacks

Asthma-proof Your House with These 10 Excellent Home Improvement Tips

Asthma is incurable, but it can still be controlled. One way to control is by creating asthma-friendly environment. In this article, you will read about 10 excellent ways to asthma-proof your house and to make it an asthma-friendly living space for asthma sufferers. But before that, you need to know first why you need to asthma-proof your house.

Why Asthma-proofing Your House Is Necessary?

Asthma attack can be dangerous, but if asthma prevention is done correctly, its deadly effect can be avoided. Asthma attack is triggered by inflammation that occurs in the bronchi or bronchioles. The inflammation constricts the cavity through which air travels through the lung. At this stage, uncomfortable pressure will be felt in the chest and a bout of dry coughs will initiate. As the attack intensifies, the pressure becomes even more severe and coughing begins to produce mucous discharge. The amount of oxygen-carrying air that enters the lung will decrease and wheezing will start to be heard. The oxygen deficiency condition is exacerbated by the fact that the burning rate of oxygen in cells will increase when oxygen is unable to enter the alveoli. If this situation continues, asthma can be deadly.

According to the Partners Healthcare’s Asthma Center, “asthma mortality is increasing worldwide, yet fatal asthma is preventable.” So, if there are people with asthma living at home, you need to know the most effective way to prevent asthma attack from occurring. Mayo Clinic lists a number of possible ways to prevent asthma attack, one of which is by identifying and avoiding asthma triggers. Asthma-proofing a house is a comprehensive endeavor to make sure that the house is void of all potential asthma triggers. By asthma-proofing your house, you have taken a great step to protect your asthma-suffering family members from potentially deadly attack.

10 Home Improvement Tips for Asthma-proofing Your House

The following tips are called home improvement tips because as you make your house more asthma-friendly, you actually improve its condition and atmosphere. So by asthma-proofing your house, there are actually great perks that you can get: your house will feel better than it did before. Here are 10 tips that you can follow if you want to asthma-proof your house.

1. Keep your house constantly clean.

Dirty house is bad for asthma sufferers. Keeping it clean is thus necessary if you don’t want asthma attack to occur at home. There are several important issues to mind when cleaning your house. Regular vacuuming is important, but be sure that you use only vacuum with HEPA filter and that you replace its bag regularly. Dusting your house regularly and washing your bedding at least once every week are also important to keep your house dust and mite-free.

2. Beware of carpet flooring.

If possible, don’t use carpet flooring at home as it traps dirt, debris and mites. If carpet is necessary, be sure that you choose anti-allergenic waterproof carpet and that you vacuum and steam it regularly. Installing carpet at the asthma-sufferer’s bedroom is not advisable, even if you can clean it regularly.

3. Install air filter.

Install air filter to prevent harmful smoke and particles from entering your house. Those tiny particles are the most notorious triggers for asthma attack. Keeping them at bay will make your house asthma-friendly.

4.Install dehumidifier.

Another silent killer for asthma sufferers is mold and mildew. Their growth is triggered especially by high level of moisture and humidity. To make sure that your house is free from them, install a dehumidifier on air conditioned rooms (most air conditioners already have built-in dehumidifier), basement, and other moist and humid parts of the house.

5. Limit the use of fabric in your house.

Using fabric furnishings and decorations in excessive amount is not advisable as fabric traps dust and dirt. Remove all fabric curtains, tapestries and table-cloths and replace them with non-allergenic materials, such as blinds and other non-fabric decorations.

6. Don’t use wood-fueled heating appliance.

Wood-fueled heating appliance produces smokes, soot and dirt, all of which are bad for asthma sufferers. Replace this kind of heating appliance with another appliance that is friendlier to asthma-sufferers, such as gas or electric heater. If you use gas heater, make sure that the ventilation goes to the outside of your house. Radiant heater is considered the best choice as it produces only heat waves and not anything else.

7. Keep air ducts inspected and cleaned.

If your house uses air ducts for ventilation or distributing warm air throughout your house, be sure to keep the ducts regularly inspected and cleaned. As air duct inspection is mostly a professional job, you may need to hire an HVAC specialist to take care of your air ducts.

8. Avoid pollen as much as possible.

This might not be an eco-friendly tip; however, as pollen is dangerous for asthma-sufferers, keeping away plants that produce pollen might be necessary. During Christmas, you may want to use artificial plant instead of real coniferous tree. If you plant flowers in your garden, you may want to avoid opening your windows and allowing pollen to come in. If you have to open the windows, do that after 10 a.m. when the amount of airborne pollens has greatly decreased.

9. Cover all potential nests for mites.

Mattress, cushions, sofa, and other objects that can become potential nests for mites must be covered perfectly with dust mite-proof covers. This way, mites will not cause too great concern at home.

10. Fix no-smoking sign on the wall.

Smoking inside the house is absolutely forbidden if there are asthma sufferers inside it. Fix no-smoking sign on the wall to make sure that none of your guests smokes inside your house. If they want to smoke, you can politely tell them to smoke outside.

With these home improvement tips, your house will be a safe haven not only for people who suffer asthma, but also for those who don’t have any health problem. By keeping air clean, humidity low, and dirt and debris away from your house, you know that all occupants of your house will be healthy and happy.

Asthma, Sensitivity, and Some Toughness to Train

When we feel like we are out of nowhere, when we breathe, that is when we know that probably we will need more inhaler to help us out. Sometimes, we may ask to ourselves if it is possible for us to get impacted while our environment is super clean it even spots a black ant. Asthma is one condition where it is hard for us to breath. It feels very heavy when it comes to an inhale and exhale activity. When once we could not take it anymore, we have to be calm and sit down, calming the self and the body to stay okay for a while, to come back to proper breath.

We might think, at this point, that we are sensitive. The sensitivity might just kill us here and there. We even inherit it to our children. Once we might also think that the dirt and the germs are the main cause. After all, have we even looked closer that every creatures in this Earth are created in purpose? We will never be tough if we are not tested. We could never increase the amount of braveness inside when we never take risks. Same case happen when we never let ourselves brave to go outside and play with the soil and ground, our pets, or such. Have we ever thought about that?

What Are the Main Factors?

In this case, we need to see broader and clearer. We need to think about things we can do out there if we do not limit ourselves in probably certain yard. Blame on the environment, on the inheritance, and even on the lifestyle. Those main factors can be right, or not so right. Especially for environment, when actually, some examples such as pet and playing with soil can make our immune system tough. When our immune system tough, it can be a prevention from the guests called asthma to come. Basically, the main factors here are not really the culprit.

How Can Have a Pet Can Cure Asthma?

A research in United States has proved that pet can be one good fiend for human, not only as a friend, but also as a doctor. This is how it works. A pet naturally brings germ and some dirt inside or outside their body. Naturally too, the immune system of human can fight that, getting used to that. Because naturally, pets and humans are meant to join together. When it comes to asthma, the people or the children who have pet are more likely to have a healthy life, asthma-less, simply because they are used to the environment. Automatically, their immune system will be activated.

How Can We Free the Asthma?

The key is not to lock ourselves. We need to get out to have some of the best things outside. Sometimes, we have that paranoia inside we cannot even tell ourselves to go out. However, training ourselves to be tough could never go wrong, as long as it is still on the term of a normal one. Through sports, through swimming outdoor, through inhaling and exhaling the air from mountain peak, sensitivity can be cured. When it comes to your children, let your children play while you still have to pay attention to them.

How about Creating a Fresher Mental and Soul?

Is there any direct relation between asthma and the sun? It is. Asthma can be cured when our skin is healthy enough it does not get impacted from eczema which will lead us to a bad airways there. the healthy skin can be gotten through morning sun. Maybe, going out for jogging or biking at 5 o clock in the morning will not be harmful. Furthermore, all the stress we have kept can be freed by this. When we can control it, automatically, we also manage to take care of our breath and the way it works. Naturally, the way we treat ourselves can also help us getting rid of the sensitivity.

We also need to put a mental note to breathe better. Breathing better can prevent us from stress. When we look up and see that the things might have gone even worse, just breath and relax. Do not let the sensitivity and panic moment control us. We do not need that, do we? This is what can we call as self-healing. So yes, basically, asthma is not only about having a treatment from medicine, but also from our own mental. Finally, when we can control the self, we can manage to inhale better by having more space for our lungs to help us breath

What about Food?

We are what we eat; the phrase might be very popular. Have we once considered what it really means? Relating it to the asthma problem, we need to take a good care of ourselves through food. At least have fruits and vegetables in a daily basis. We also need to acknowledge that obesity can cause asthma. This is actually the point where we have to realize that less salt and less oil would be a very good option of ours. Maintaining the self is not only about soul and mental, but it is also about the body we have. Being slim is not the goal, but being healthy and breath freer is

Some Fun Facts

After reading the whole explanation above, we need to come up to one conclusion that can probably move us. Ones at a time, we need to be sure that we are in a state where our body is capable in handling some activities. This is for our body, after all. We are talking about sensitivity that can be trained. See the example when it is said that germs in pet can prevent children who snuggle them from asthma. Yet, pay attention carefully on how it works. A prevention it is. To train it is to get them used to when they are in a healthy condition. So far, for sure that sensitivity is not something to lock. It is something to embrace, to fight the asthma or the symptoms embodied.

Facts about Asthma That Might Surprise You

For the past couple of years, perhaps centuries, there are some ongoing debates on how asthma affects many people without seeing the age. Some researchers say that there are relation between asthma and genes, which lead us to know that the asthma is inherited. Some say that it might be caused by environment. That way, very logically, we can see the relation clear enough; pollution and free radical are the culprit, yet getting to fight them can make us tough too, which relates to our immune system.

Some also say that it's simply normal because of certain age. Well, looking at how we live and where we live now, it's almost not impossible to say that it's the world we live in, where pollution and free radical is free out there, letting us gob smacked by many diseases. However, getting to know these facts might also help us to see what we can do to prevent and to cure asthma. We can apply it to our children, our friends, or to ourselves. These are some following facts followed by some tips along with it, just to make sure that in every diseases, there is always a cure and treatment.

Factors to See

Clearly, there are some factors, giving a background to the asthma. Besides all the factors mentioned above, there are some that we might have never realized it before. Some of them include lifestyle and obesity. All the factors are joined together, and then it will make a perfect match of a cause, leading us to asthma. Pollution, free radical, lifestyle, and also stress can quite trigger this respiratory troubles. When the problems are rooted from the throat, the inner organs, and also the airways, we could always do anything to prevent it. But first, know the following facts.

Collecting the Facts

Fact number one; it relates to environment. Let’s just start this from one example. People who likely to swim indoor mostly tend to get a symptom of asthma. It can happen a lot to children. The factor is because the chlorine in indoor pool is a chemical substance that can cause a trouble on the airways through the nose. Why doesn’t it to be outdoor then? Well, in an outdoor pool, the chlorine, some of the substance, will be pulled back by the natural oxygen. The dangerous smell and effects will soon be mixed with oxygen and gone. As simple as that. It may trigger a respiratory disturbance.

Fact number two; it relates to the wheezing attention. For mum and dad out there, please make sure that your children is safe or not by paying attention to every single breath they take. It doesn't literally like that but here's the case; the asthma doesn't always mark with wheezing. It can be from just a dry cough, which we think is only cough. While in fact, it's not. Numerous reasons can be mentioned. However, paying attention to each of the movements would be a good move to take care of it. If this happens, doctors will be a good option as a first step.

Fact number three; related to the previous paragraph, after having a doctor to check it out, make sure that you also pay an attention to every words they say. Some doctors do not say it asthma. They instead call it as “reactive airway disease”. The words are not literally purposeful, but they are in purpose. Sometimes, many parents get shocked or even try to deny the facts. Words changing is aimed to take care of some mental breakdown, if there is any. However, asking about the detail would be a good movement, oh dearest parents.

Fact number four; have you ever heard that skin that is impacted by eczema can also be a culprit for asthma? This is very rare, indeed. But actually a pretty simple theory to understand. When the sensitive skin has eczema, the possibility of immune system to fight the germs of asthma won't be fulfilled. That's way, skin, as a good friend of respiratory could have been curing it. the skin and eczema is especially impacting airways, the only way for the breathe to come in and out. If it's disturbed then how? If allergic symptoms have been felt, then a fast treatment would be needed.

Fact number five; when you or your kids have an asthma, or some kind of activities, it's good to limit self from being too exhausted. But, please bear in mind that it doesn’t mean they have to stop their activities. Activities are fine and fun to do. If it is to add more immune system in one body, then why not? This is to actually get rid of those thoughts that you simply cannot do anything when you have asthma. It doesn't even near that. The more immune system is gained, the better the condition is supposed to be.

Fact number 6; getting rid of asthma might be a little difficult, but knowing that routine check up might help should make you a little relieve. Yes, it can. A check up every three to 6 months would be enough so far. When you consult, make sure that you ask the doctor about things you can do to prevent and cure you from asthma. After all, it will never be too late to try. Lifestyle needs to be changed as soon as possible. Clearly, the checkups can also be done by yourself, by maintaining all you consume and have every day.

Meeting the Conclusion

Asthma is a disease that relates to airways and respiratory that sometimes limit a body to breath properly. It can be cured and prevented though, by knowing some of the facts and factors behind it. It can also be a perfect guidelines when what you do is a healthy lifestyle. Apply it to your family and yourself would create a good environment inside or outside. Do not limit a healthy activity, a good one that can increase the amount of immune system. Have a happy life!