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Strong wind, constantly raining rain and low temperature mean that the autumn period is invariably associated with the period of constant colds. If you or your household are tired of recurring infections and you do not want to take more medications, it is high time to buy an inhaler that will help you get rid of persistent ailments. We will advise you on how to choose the best model that will meet the expectations of all members of your family.
What is inhalation?
Inhalation, also called nebulization, is often still associated with a bowl of hot water with the addition of infused herbs or essential oils, over which we spend not very pleasant moments with a towel on our head. Modern inhalers have little to do with this outdated method.
Effectiveness the operation of inhalers it is based on breaking up a drug or other drug substance that is contained in a device into tiny pieces. The result of this breakdown is the formation of a cool, pleasant mist, which, thanks to a special mask, goes straight to our respiratory system.
And although until recently inhalers were considered equipment recommended only to allergy sufferers, now they are found in almost every home. Rightly. Not only will it fight a stubborn runny nose and moisturize the throat, relieving pain and irritation, but also inhibit the development of sinus infections or bronchitis.
Types of inhalers
Home use inhalers are divided into ultrasonic and pneumatic inhalers. Ultrasonic inhaler it is a very quiet device, and due to the fact that the mist it produces is very dense, the inhalation time is very short. The ultrasonic inhaler, however, has one significant drawback.
- Check the best offer for the fastest and quietest ultrasonic inhaler
We cannot use every substance to carry out inhalation with this equipment. What it comes from? There is a risk that ultrasound during inhalation will destroy the particles of some drugs, and thus neutralize their effect and reduce their effectiveness. Moreover, this type of inhaler is not suitable for patients under 1 year of age.
Among other things, due to the greater versatility, the inhaler that will work better at home will be one of the pneumatic inhalers, also known as piston inhalers. For inhalation of it, we can use all drugs adapted to this, as well as essential oils or saline, the task of which will be to dilute the secretions in the nose and moisturize the throat.
- Buy now the perfect home-use pneumatic inhaler that will work for every family member
This device uses compressed air to create a healing mist. For this reason pneumatic inhaler it’s louder than the ultrasonic one. The characteristic sound can be problematic especially for young children. However, medical producers met the needs of the youngest patients. They created for them inhalers for children in the shape of a teddy bear, star or fudge to tame children fear of inhalation.
- Do you need an inhaler for a child? Choose the one in the shape of a funny fudge that will tame your child’s fears related to inhalation
When choosing the perfect inhaler, it is worth paying attention to several of its features that will improve the quality of inhalation. Here they are.
Inhalation rate
Different models of inhalers can carry out very different times inhalation process. A lot will also depend on how large is the single dose of the drug that we have to take during one inhalation cycle. For an adult patient, inhalation lasting 10 minutes will not be a problem, it is different with a child.
The optimal duration of one inhalation cycle is the total use of 2,5 ml of the drug within 5 minutes. There are models on the market that do this in both shorter and longer periods. If the inhaler is to be used by children, make sure that the inhalation lasts a few minutes or choose devices with drug flow regulation. Then we decide ourselves whether we want the inhalation to last longer or shorter.
- A flow-controlled inhaler that allows you to shorten the inhalation time
Average particle size
The average particle size released by the inhaler is a parameter that we should look for on the packaging under the abbreviation MMAD. The size of the molecules into which the drug is broken down is of great importance when it comes to effectiveness of inhalation. The smaller their size, the greater the chance that the inhaled drug will reach the lungs and bronchi.
Therefore, it is worth choosing devices in which the size of the produced particles fluctuates between 1-5 microns. We need to know that particles with a size of 10 microns only go to the throat and nose, those below 5 microns to the bronchi and trachea, and the smallest particles to the lungs.
- Check out the best offer for an inhaler that creates the most optimal particle size
Inhaler volume
Loud inhaler it is a chance that your child will be scared immediately after starting it and will not want to use its benefits. When looking for the perfect device, choose the one with the fewest decibels produced. It is best that the pneumatic inhaler should have a maximum of 60 dB – then it will not be tiring to use. Ultrasonic inhalers are much quieter – they emit a sound with a volume of approx. 40 dB.
- The quietest ultrasonic inhaler
Additional equipment
It is good when the selected inhaler has accessories in the set that will allow us to carry out inhalation immediately after purchase. For this reason, some manufacturers include saline in their devices.
If the inhaler is to be used by more than one household member or child, two should be supplied with the device inhalation masks – larger for adults and smaller for children. It is good to have an additional tip attached, which we put in the mouth and thanks to it we draw the medicine. It is intended for treatment of throat infections, bronchi and lungs.
Increasingly, we can also find a special nose tip in the set, thanks to which we can easily get rid of secretions from the nose and sinuses. If additional tips and masks are not available in the set, choose an inhaler for which we can easily buy additional elements. Easily available spare parts will also help if you need to replace the tubes or filters of your inhaler.
- Choose an inhaler that comes with masks and irrigation tips
What is also worth paying attention to when choosing an inhalation device is the ease of cleaning its parts. Remember that improperly washed parts of the inhaler are a habitat of viruses and bacteria that can initiate further infections.
Let’s also check if the device does not have small, easy-to-remove parts that are a threat to small children, especially when they get their hands on them. It is not worth saving money on this type of equipment. A decent device is able to take care of our health for many years. We only need to remember to clean it thoroughly and regularly replace the filters that stop the secretion from the patient’s nose or throat. Proper use of the device will ensure our satisfaction and effectiveness.