You may consider a type of nebulizer for your COPD treatment. These small devices convert medications into mist, allowing you to breathe them in more easily through a mask or machine.

The most common form of treatment that doctors prescribe for COPD is inhalation therapy, which includes inhalers and nebulizers.

Compared to traditional medication inhalers, a nebulizer can provide fast and effective relief from symptoms. It may help improve your quality of life and possibly lower your risk of COPD-related emergencies.

Nebulizers are small devices that help take various drugs used to manage COPD.

They use a motor to convert these drugs from liquid to mist. This helps deliver a continuous medication mist that you breathe in for 10 to 15 minutes or longer using a mouthpiece or mask. This allows you to breathe as usual through your mouth during treatment.

How are nebulizers different than inhalers?

By comparison, inhalers produce short bursts of aerosol medication.

They require you to coordinate your breath to inhale the medication quickly and deeply, holding your breath briefly to allow the drug to enter your system.

This can make it more challenging for people with breathing difficulties because all the medication may not get into your lungs as effectively.

You can read more here about inhalers for COPD treatment.

The medications that a nebulizer might deliver include:

  • bronchodilators
  • corticosteroids
  • antibiotics
  • anticholinergics
  • mucolytic agents

Only nebulizers can deliver certain COPD drugs, including metaproterenol and acetylcysteine.

Many factors go into deciding what type of COPD treatment may be best for you.

Current medical guidelines have changed in recent years. This could mean your doctor might reevaluate your COPD symptoms and check whether a nebulizer may work for you.

Three types of nebulizers are available. They convert the medication to mist differently, but all have similar designs.

Jet nebulizers

They use compressed air to create a fine mist and are the oldest type of nebulizers. They are available in tabletop and handheld models. Jet nebulizers are not restricted by COPD medication. However, they can be loud and difficult to clean. One advantage of certain jet nebulizers is their ability to generate smaller particles, typically under 5 microns, allowing selective delivery of medication to the lower airways.

Ultrasonic nebulizers

These are newer and much quieter than jet nebulizers.

They are only available as handheld devices and tend to cost more than jet nebulizers. They use ultrasonic vibrations to generate a fine mist. However, ultrasonic nebulizers can’t deliver certain COPD medications because the device transfers heat from the ultrasonic vibrations to the medication.

Vibrating mesh nebulizers

These are the latest and most expensive kind of nebulizers.

They are quiet and much more portable than others. New handheld models are about the size of a remote control. These nebulizers can also be hard to clean.

Because the mesh is delicate, you must clean and handle it gently. You can clean other type of nebulizers by simply boiling them or running them through a dishwasher.

You’ll need to rinse and dry all nebulizers after each use and clean more thoroughly once a week, so consider the handling and care requirements.

Advantages

  • They take less training than inhalers to use correctly.
  • They may be more helpful and easier to use than an inhaler during a COPD attack.
  • They may be easier to use for taking large doses of a drug.

Disadvantages

  • They take a while to use, requiring 10 to 15 minutes of slow breathing.
  • They’re more expensive than inhalers.
  • They require a power source.

Your healthcare team can guide you through the best options for managing your condition and deciding whether a nebulizer may be appropriate.

Several different types of nebulizers are available that you can use to help treat your COPD. Each converts the medication you take into a mist that you breathe in. Each type has several pros and cons to consider, ranging from how they work to how easy they may be to clean.

Your healthcare team may suggest using both inhalers and nebulizers to maximize the effectiveness of your treatment.