In the United States, 4.6 million children have asthma. This debilitating condition can prevent your child from living their life as they’d like, and it can put significant stress on their entire body. Thankfully, there are effective treatments that can help manage the symptoms of asthma and prevent life-threatening attacks.
Two of the most trusted options are inhalers and nebulizers. But how can you know which is the right choice for your child? Asthma pediatricians offer insight into these two treatments and explain how to choose the most appropriate one for your child.
Benefits of an Albuterol Inhaler
Asthma inhalers are portable, handheld devices that deliver medications right to the lungs. There are a few different types, but metered albuterol inhalers are the most common option. To use this inhaler, your child will push down on a pressurized canister. This causes the canister to let out a puff of medicine for your child to breathe in.
There are also dry powder inhalers. These don’t use a chemical propellant like metered ones do. Instead, the user will take a fast breath to draw the powder in. Another option is a soft mist inhaler, which sprays a dose of medicine when your child presses on it.
One of the best things about inhalers is that they are highly portable, which makes them a good choice for school-age children. They’re also easy to use, and they provide fast relief from asthma symptoms because of how quickly the medication gets to the lungs.
While many types of inhalers are designed to alleviate symptoms during an attack, some inhalers are used for preventive purposes. A child can use this inhaler every day in order to reduce the inflammation that leads to asthma attacks. An asthma pediatrician might recommend a preventer inhaler, depending on the severity of the condition.
Benefits of a Nebulizer
A nebulizer is a machine that turns liquid medicine into a mist that your child can breathe in. It’s made of a base that holds an air compressor, a container for the medication, and a connected mouthpiece or face mask that allows the medication to be breathed directly into the lungs.
Nebulizers are available as both portable and tabletop versions. Portable options can be electric or run on a battery, while tabletop ones need to be plugged in.
For very small children, nebulizers tend to be a better option because they only have to place the mouthpiece or mask on and breathe normally. It can also be a better option during an asthma attack because your child won’t need to breathe in deeply to receive the medication they need.
With nebulizers, you can also combine medications, which is not an option with inhalers. It doesn’t take coordination to use a nebulizer, either, as would be needed to operate a metered inhaler.
How to Decide Whether Inhalers or Nebulizers Is the Right Choice for Children
Asthma pediatricians recommend both inhalers and nebulizers to parents because they are effective. There may be some reasons, however, why one could be more helpful than the other.
Your Child’s Age
Your child’s age will be a factor in whether to choose a nebulizer or an inhaler. Nebulizers are typically a better choice for younger children because they don’t require effort to use. All your child has to do is wear the mask or mouthpiece.
Inhalers, especially metered ones, require that a child press down on the device to release the medication while breathing in at the same time. That might not be possible for a very young child to do.
Portability
Inhalers are the most portable option. When your child goes to school or visits a friend’s home, they need to have help available if they feel the symptoms of an asthma attack. An inhaler can easily fit into a pocket or backpack.
A nebulizer, even a portable one that runs on batteries, is much larger and clunkier. It’s just not practical for a child to take a nebulizer to school every day. Some nebulizers also need a stable power source.
Speed of Use
Inhalers get medication into the lungs in seconds, while nebulizers can take a few minutes to deliver the entire dose. If your child is prone to getting serious asthma attacks that cause severe symptoms quickly, an inhaler could be a better choice than a nebulizer.
On the other hand, for the medication to reach the lungs when using an inhaler, your child will need to take a fast and deep breath. That might not be possible during an asthma attack. A nebulizer delivers the medication over a few minutes, but it doesn’t require particularly deep breaths.
Amount of Administered Medication
Inhalers can be difficult for children to use exactly as needed, which means that some of the medication may not make it into their lungs. A nebulizer, on the other hand, will provide the right amount of medicine, especially if your child wears a mask that fits correctly and doesn’t allow for air leaks.
Ability to Monitor Medication Use for Your Child
Some inhalers have counters that allow you to see how many doses are still left in the canister, but not all of them do. That could mean uncertainty as to when you need to get your child a refill.
With a nebulizer, you know exactly how much medication you put into the container and how much you have left. There’s no guesswork involved.
Finding the Right Option With Help From an Asthma Pediatrician at Newport Children
If your child has a pediatric pulmonary health condition such as asthma, finding the right treatment isn’t simple. By turning to an asthma pediatrician for assistance, you can get a better sense of what options are best for your child.
An asthma pediatrician will recommend a treatment plan based on factors like your child’s age and the severity of their condition. Sometimes, having both an inhaler and a nebulizer could provide the exact level of assistance that your child needs. Consult with a medical professional to see how you can best help your child manage their asthma.