Bronchitis is one of the most common respiratory diseases. It is found in both children and adults. Such a method of treatment as inhalation has always been used in this disease. Today, for convenience, a nebulizer is used for medical procedures. With bronchitis, this device can be used both in a stationary medical facility and at home.
A few words about bronchitis
This disease is an inflammation of the airways. The bronchi are branches of the trachea that conduct air to the lungs. Bronchitis can be recognized by an exhausting continuous cough, high body temperature, general malaise, and weakness. During auscultation of the lungs, the doctor hears hard breathing and wheezing.
The course of acute bronchitis begins with a dry cough. The infection penetrated into the respiratory organs is manifested by inflammation and swelling of the mucosa, narrowing of the bronchial lumen, and an abundant accumulation of secretions in the lungs. As the inflammatory process develops, the cough becomes wet, because sputum production occurs. This leads to partial relief, but not recovery. If you do not treat bronchitis, serious complications are possible.
In order to treat respiratory diseases, a special device was invented - a nebulizer. With bronchitis, it can be used to make inhalations that help get rid of breathing problems in a short time. Inhalation in the obstructive form of the disease accelerates the process of liquefaction of sputum and its removal from the bronchi.
Is it possible to do without antibiotics
In the usual course of diseases of the throat and nasopharynx, broad-spectrum antibacterial agents are usually not prescribed, since it is possible to use therapeutic antimicrobials, applying them directly to the affected mucosa. Local antiseptics are available in the form of a spray, tablets, solutions for gargling. With bronchitis, the situation is somewhat different. This disease can also be treated without antibiotics, but only if there are alternative methods of therapy, involving the delivery of active substances directly to the inflamed bronchi. That is why in the treatment of bronchitis, the nebulizer is considered an indispensable assistant.
The principle of action of a nebulizer for respiratory diseases
A nebulizer is a steam inhaler. The most common and convenient to use are compressor-type devices. When using a nebulizer, you need to understand that it is not the device itself that treats, but the drugs that are poured into it. The inhaler generates steam due to the operation of the compressor, which turns liquid medicinal solutions into an aerosol. In turn, small particles of active substances enter the lower respiratory tract, producing a therapeutic effect.
With bronchitis, you can use a nebulizer, but this does not mean that you can do steam inhalation for any respiratory illness. For example, the use of the device is indicated for stenosis of the larynx, cystic fibrosis in order to reduce swelling and expand the lumen of the bronchi. Medical procedures with a nebulizer can be carried out with tuberculosis and exacerbation of bronchial asthma. In addition, the use of a nebulizer is not always advisable for colds. This type of therapy is ineffective for rhinitis, pharyngitis, laryngitis, tonsillitis, in comparison with topical preparations.
At what age can children use
The main advantage of steam inhalers is their ease of use and the ability to use for the treatment of respiratory diseases in all family members. Inhalation does not adversely affect the external environment, since the release of aerosol does not emit freon into the atmosphere.
At the same time, many parents doubt whether it is possible to do inhalation with a nebulizer for bronchitis in children? And if so, at what age? Some of them are sure that using an inhaler is dangerous for children under 10 years old. This assumption is erroneous. Pediatricians and neonatologists insist that the nebulizer can be used in the treatment of all babies, starting from the first months of life. Steam inhalations are useful for the immature respiratory system of newborns, especially for diseases when fast and deep transportation of active substances is necessary.
Inhalations for expectant mothers
Treatment of bronchitis with a nebulizer in pregnant women is an effective and safe way to accelerate recovery without the use of drugs that are dangerous to the fetus. As you know, most pharmacy drugs that are intended for adults are contraindicated in expectant mothers. A nebulizer for bronchitis makes it possible to avoid the harmful effects of chemicals, if instead they use safer alkaline solutions to remove sputum. Inhalations with mineral water or saline are also recommended in early childhood.
Choosing drugs for a nebulizer for bronchitis should be the attending physician - therapist, pulmonologist, physiotherapist. In the annotation, contraindications and restrictions for use in childhood and during pregnancy are noted in each of them. For example, some pharmacy products can be used after the 28th week of pregnancy, and others after the first trimester.
When the use of an inhaler is prohibited
Bronchitis is one of the indications for the use of a nebulizer, but in the presence of at least one contraindication, inhalation is impossible. Also, you can not start the procedure, having intolerance or allergy to any of the components in the composition of medicines. Absolute contraindications to the use of a steam nebulizer are diseases and pathological conditions, such as:
- respiratory and heart failure;
- suffered a stroke and heart attack less than a year ago;
- bleeding in the lungs;
- emphysema;
- high body temperature.
With obstructive bronchitis and bronchial asthma, it is undesirable to use herbal decoctions and essential oils as a medicinal solution in order to prevent the occurrence of an allergic reaction and the deterioration of the condition of the bronchi.
How to do inhalation
Just a few years ago, inhalation using a nebulizer could only be done in a hospital setting. Today, this device is in almost every family. A nebulizer for obstructive bronchitis and a chronic form of the disease is an indispensable and useful thing. At home, carrying out procedures using a steam inhaler is easy and simple. It is especially convenient to use a nebulizer for bronchitis in children. Inhalations can be done even by bedridden patients.
Preparing to use a compressor device involves several steps:
- Before starting the procedure, you need to thoroughly wash your hands with antibacterial soap;
- according to the instructions, it is necessary to assemble the device and plug it into a power outlet (insert batteries);
- before pouring a medicinal solution into the nebulizer, make sure that the product is airtight by pouring plain drinking water there - if everything is in order, you can start the procedure.
The solution for a nebulizer for bronchitis must be warmed up in hands or warmed in a water bath to room temperature. If the treatment involves the use of several drugs, you must follow a certain sequence in the procedures:
- First breathe bronchodilator drugs.
- Then dilute sputum.
- After that, inhalation with an anti-inflammatory agent or antibiotic can be done.
The required amount of medicine is poured into the nebulizer and diluted with saline or water for injection, bringing the total volume of liquid to the mark on the container. Between sessions, you need to take a break of at least 15 minutes.
So, how to breathe a nebulizer with bronchitis? The technique of this manipulation is simple: you need to lean against the face with a breathing mask and breathe in therapeutic pairs in a relaxed state. It should be borne in mind that:
- with nasal congestion, instead of a mask, you can use a mouthpiece and breathe through your mouth;
- after physical activity and eating, the procedure is carried out no earlier than 1.5 hours;
- inhalation is preferably done in a sitting position;
- breathing during the procedure should be deep and measured;
- the duration of one session is usually 10-15 minutes;
- after inhalation with a hormonal drug, the mouth must be rinsed;
- it is advisable to go outside after the procedure no earlier than an hour later.
Solutions for compressor nebulizers
There are many medicines for bronchitis that can be used for inhalation with a nebulizer. Most often, ready-made dosage forms are used. Depending on the nature of the cough, the attending physician may prescribe medications for bronchitis for the nebulizer from one or more groups:
- bronchodilators for bronchodilation (“Berotek”, “Salbutamol”, “Berodual”, “Atrovent”, “Ventolin”);
- anti-inflammatory drugs in the nebulas ("Malavit", "Tonsilgon N");
- vasoconstrictor ("Naphthyzinum", "Adrenaline");
- antibiotics (Gentomycin, Fluimucil, Tobramycin, Amoxicillin, Bicillin, Dioxidin, Ciprofloxacin);
- thinners and expectorants for sputum excretion (Lazolvan, Ambrobene, Mukoltin).
Alkaline inhalation
The use of a nebulizer for bronchitis in a child younger than one year implies inhalation with mineral water. Such procedures will not harm adults, pregnant or lactating women. However, pour any mineral water into the spray gun. The water used as a treatment solution for inhalation should be slightly alkaline and non-carbonated, so gas must be released from it before inhalation. Mostly, Borjomi, Narzan, Essentuki are used for procedures. These mineral waters have many medicinal properties. With bronchitis, alkaline inhalations help relieve catarrhal inflammation and stop the symptoms of the disease.
The rich chemical composition of the Caucasian mineral waters helps to moisturize the respiratory tract, thinning sputum, as well as its easier and more painless excretion. Unlike medicinal solutions, mineral waters are not capable of causing allergic reactions and have no contraindications. But it must be understood that mineral water is not sterile. If there is a certain kind of bacteria in it, the development of pneumonia is possible.
Sodium chloride as a basis for therapeutic solutions
In addition to mineral waters, saline is an equally safe means for treating bronchitis with a nebulizer in adults and children. In its pure form, it is used for inhalation in people with hypersensitivity to various components of drugs. Saline is hypoallergenic, because it consists of water and dissolved salt. It has an antiseptic, softening effect on the respiratory tract and helps to eliminate sputum. In addition, it is one percent sodium chloride that is used as the basis for the preparation of therapeutic solutions for a nebulizer.
Antibacterial agents
Consider some of the most popular antibiotics that are used for inhalation in bronchitis:
- Fluimucil. The composition of this drug contains two active substances - a broad-spectrum antibiotic, tiamphenicol and mucolytic acetylcysteine, which dilutes the pulmonary secretion and ensures the rapid penetration of the antibiotic into the lung tissue. For adults, a single dose of the drug is 250 mg, for children - 125 mg. It is recommended to do 1-2 inhalations per day for 10 days.
- "Dioxidine." A bactericidal agent, which is available in different dosages: for children use 0.5% drug solutions, for adults - 1%. "Diaxidine" is diluted with sodium chloride in a ratio of 1: 4.
- Gentamicin. An effective drug against many bacteria with gram-positive and gram-negative status. For inhalation, a 0.1% solution is used.
- Tobramycin. A synthetic antibiotic is prescribed for pneumonia, obstructive bronchitis and other respiratory diseases of an infectious nature. Once in the lungs, the active substance of the antibiotic does not penetrate the blood. Suitable for the treatment of children over 6 years old and adults in a minimum dosage of 300 mg. The procedures are carried out twice a day with a 12-hour break.
Mucolytic and expectorant drugs
For the immediate treatment of cough with bronchitis, various bronchodilators are used. The most common of them is Berodual, which is prescribed for the treatment of obstructive forms of the disease and bronchial asthma. The dosage is prescribed individually and depends on the nature of the cough.
The course of inhalation begins with the minimum recommended dose. Preschool children can use Berodual at the rate of 2 drops of the drug per 1 kg of body weight, children under 12 years old - 10 drops, after 12 and adults - 20 drops. Using saline, the therapeutic is brought to the appropriate level and proceed to the procedure. If after inhalation the drug remains in the container, it must be poured, and for the next procedure, prepare a new one. Berodual can cause side effects, in particular, nausea, headache, dry mouth, tachycardia, and high blood pressure.
To increase secretion and excretion of sputum from the lungs with bronchitis, lighter drugs can be prescribed instead of Berodual or simultaneously with it (Lazolvan, Ambromene). In severe cases of the disease, they can be mixed. Similar drug “cocktails” have a more pronounced effect. In general, all drugs are easily tolerated by patients and bring the expected therapeutic effect.
Reviews on the use of nebulizers in the treatment of bronchitis
In general, most users have no complaints about this method of treatment. This type of therapy for bronchitis is completely safe, in contrast to the grandfather's method of inhalation, during which a person had to breathe over the pan, covered with a towel. According to reviews, such treatment often ended in burns. It is especially dangerous for babies to take inhalations with boiling water, but even at an older age it is difficult to force children to sit under a blanket with their heads covered.
The whole family uses a nebulizer, although initially most people purchase it for the treatment of bronchitis in children. According to reviews, the procedures go smoothly and help the kids recover faster. Most mothers who already have experience with inhaler treatment recommend thinking ahead of time about how to carry out inhalation in a playful way, especially if the baby does not differ in perseverance. In order for the treatment to take place in a fun and relaxed atmosphere, many buy special children's nebulizers. They are bright and colorful, produced in the form of cartoon characters and various animals.
Deciding to buy a nebulizer, you do not need to save. According to reviews, budget models work noisily, and their nozzles and breathing masks can exude unpleasant odors. In addition, such devices are less effective in the treatment of diseases of the respiratory tract, including bronchitis. On the other hand, a lot depends not on the nebulizer, but on the drug solution used. If you follow the doctor’s prescription and do everything according to the instructions, problems usually do not arise.