{"id":9334,"date":"2020-03-03T13:00:47","date_gmt":"2020-03-03T18:00:47","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.singlecare.com\/blog\/?p=9334"},"modified":"2025-10-07T10:52:03","modified_gmt":"2025-10-07T14:52:03","slug":"what-is-a-nebulizer-machine","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.singlecare.com\/blog\/what-is-a-nebulizer-machine\/","title":{"rendered":"What is a nebulizer? Learn how it works and why you might need one"},"content":{"rendered":"

What is a nebulizer machine?<\/a> | How does a nebulizer work?<\/a> | Types of nebulizers<\/a> | How to use a nebulizer<\/a> | How to clean a nebulizer<\/a> | Nebulizers vs. Inhalers<\/a> | Where to buy a nebulizer machine<\/a> | FAQs<\/a><\/p>\n

If you have asthma, you know how difficult it can be to find relief from your symptoms. Perhaps more challenging is being a parent of a child with a respiratory condition. Watching your little one go through coughing spells is tough, but teaching them how and when to use an inhaler can be even harder. Fortunately, there’s an equally effective alternative that can be more comfortable and convenient than using an inhaler. Ask a doctor about using a nebulizer machine.<\/span><\/p>\n

What is a nebulizer machine?<\/span><\/h2>\n

Nebulizer machines are electric devices that turn liquid medicine\u2014like albuterol, an asthma medicine\u2014into a fine mist. By turning these medications into a fine mist, it is easier to get the active ingredients deeper into the airways where their effects are needed the most. A nebulizer is a machine that requires a power source. While most nebulizers are relatively compact and can travel easily as long as you have access to a power source, they are not quite as convenient as metered-dose inhalers, or MDIs. MDIs also turn these medications into a breathable mist. The mist may not be as fine as the one produced by a nebulizer, and MDIs require a level of physical, mechanical, and breathing coordination that is hard to accomplish for some, especially young patients.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

How does a nebulizer work?<\/span><\/h2>\n

Nebulizers can produce the fine medication mist via a few different mechanisms. Compressor nebulizers have been around for many years and work by mechanically providing pressure which forces the liquid medication into a fine mist to be breathed in. Ultrasonic nebulizers are newer, and achieve the same result using high-frequency vibrations. The medication that has been turned into a fine mist then travels through connected tubing to either a face mask or mouthpiece where the patient can then take in slow, deep breaths which allow the medication to reach the intended deeper points of bronchial airways. It typically takes approximately 10 minutes of repeated deep breathing to complete a nebulizer treatment for most medications.<\/span><\/p>\n

Who needs a nebulizer?<\/span><\/h3>\n

Nebulizers help treat many people with conditions like:<\/span><\/p>\n