“Is nebulization safe? How does it work?”
Every time my child gets a bout of coughs along with a slight wheeze, the doctor suggests nebulization for some quick relief. Is it safe to give nebulization frequently? How does nebulization work to give instant relief in kids?
6 Answers
Bronchodilator
If you are giving to albuterol frequently you may need a daily controller. Overuse of albuterol can make less receptors for albuterol so it does not work as well over time. Albuterol works like adrenaline to bind to receptors in the lungs to prevent spasm of the airways
Your doctor wants to bring your child fast relief. Nebulizer treatment with albuterol could be given every 2 hours in severe cases or just 2 times a day in stage of recovery. It helps to open airways and cough out the mucus. Be well.
This is not a simple question or answer. If a child is receiving the medicine Albuterol in the nebulizer on a recurrent basis with improvement of his/her cough, then the child has asthma! If that’s the case, the long term ramifications need to be discussed, as well as potential prophylactic/preventive treatment based on the NHLBI recommendations. Frequently, doctors don’t assess appropriately or treat correctly, and just tell parents to give a nebulizer whenever they are sick. I suggest you find a doctor more knowledgeable about asthma or ask to be referred to a lung specialist, pulmonologist.
First of all, asthma or pre asthma must be established as a diagnosis. There should also be strict intervals between administration of the neb as it can cause dangerous side effects.
Nebulized Albuterol is safe to give kids every four hours. If you child has recurring wheezing episodes, you may want to talk to your child’s doctor about the possibility of asthma, and the need for “preventative mediations” (meds that will prevent recurrent wheezing), and help to keep your child’s lungs healthy.
