Do Inhalers or Nebulizers Work Better?

There are a lot of opinions when it comes to which works better - a nebulizer or an inhaler.

 

As a Certified Asthma Educator (AE-C), I have been to plenty of national asthma conferences to keep up my continuing education credits. 

 

This topic has come up frequently. 

 

What do the studies say?  

 

There are studies that say that inhalers are just as effective for treating asthma as nebulizers. Researchers say if inhalers are used properly (and used with a spacer), they are a better choice for asthma attacks and asthma flares. 

 

They also say nebulizers are big and bulky and hard to transport. (But there are small handheld units now that run on batteries. Mine is about 3 inches tall and fits in my bag.) 

 

 What do patients say? 

 

I have had asthma for over 25 years - and I also raised three children with asthma. We have had countless asthma attacks and respiratory illnesses like pneumonia, RSV, and COVID. 

 

When we have a minor asthma attack, we can use a few puffs of our albuterol inhaler and be okay.  

 

When we have a prolonged illness like pneumonia, we have found that we CAN'T use an inhaler. Here's why:

 

• We usually cough so hard we are trying not to throw up (it's awful)
• We have pulled muscles in our ribs from coughing for weeks at a time (also awful)
• We can't inhale deep enough to use an inhaler (inhaling deeply will cause us to start coughing)
• We also can't hold our breathe after we use an inhaler (we just cough the medicine back out)  

 

When I have pneumonia, RSV, or COVID, my cough is so bad that I stop eating because I'm afraid that I will choke on food. Not kidding. 

 

Nebulizers are my best friend 

 

Laying on the couch while breathing in a cool albuterol mist works better for me and my kids.  Yes, it takes longer to have a breathing treatment than inhaling a few puffs of albuterol. 

 

But I can just lay there and watch TV while I breathe. It takes no effort and I don't have to inhale deeply and hold my breath like I do when I use an inhaler. 

 

We have several nebulizers that we have used over the years. One of them is 25 years old, but works like a dream! I can keep one on each floor of the house. When I'm battling pneumonia, I'm so weak that I can hardly walk. I need quick access to a nebulizer without trying to climb stairs. 

 

I keep a basket with my nebulizer, albuterol vials and fingertip oxygen monitor nearby. 

 

The last time I had COVID, I needed my nebulizer for a month straight. It was really hard to break up with my nebulizer. We were pretty tight that month. 

 

Verdict? 

 

If you prefer your nebulizer when you are sick, use it! It's your body and your choice. 

 

There are different types of asthma, so what works for one person may not work for someone else. 

 

All four of us prefer using nebulizers when we are very sick and trying to avoid a trip to the ER. You decide what's right for you! 

 

Hugs, 

 

Andrea