How Does an Ultrasonic Nebulizer Work?

An ultrasonic nebulizer is a small, portable device that uses ultrasonic sound waves to break liquid particles down into a fog so that they can be inhaled easily. Patients who have asthma, COPD, pneumonia, chronic bronchitis, emphysema, or other chronic conditions, most often use them for medicinal purposes. While other devices can deliver the medicine in a mist form, ultrasonic nebulizers provide a fog of medicine that has much smaller particles and can travel much deeper into the patient’s lungs, resulting in much faster relief.

How does an Ultrasonic Nebulizer Work?

All ultrasonic nebulizers use a power source to create a series of ultrasonic sound waves. These sound waves break liquid down into tiny particles so that it becomes a vapor. A fan in the device then propels the vapor into the patient’s mouth.

Advantages

Ultrasonic nebulizers are good for chronic breathing conditions and can dramatically improve the health of the patient who is using one. They are quiet, portable, easy to clean, and can provide relief in a matter of minutes. Ultrasonic nebulizer sessions are quick and painless and usually take between five and seven minutes to produce the desired effect. The device can usually power through six or seven sessions before the batteries need to be replaced. Furthermore, ultrasonic nebulizers do not use heat or anything external so the medicine’s quality never decreases.

Disadvantages

While ultrasonic nebulizers can be very good for a patients, they can also be dangerous. This is because ultrasonic nebulizers can break down micro-sized organisms, dust, and other harmful materials into much smaller particles that the patient can easily ingest while using the nebulizer.

Types of Ultrasonic Nebulizers

There are two types of ultrasonic nebulizers. The more popular type is the small, battery-operated, hand-held version that asthmatics and other patients who have breathing problems use for quick, silent relief from throat and lung pain. This type of ultrasonic nebulizer is meant to be used while traveling or simply to be kept nearby. The other is a humidifier, which is much larger and dispenses large amounts of colorless water vapor into the surrounding environment. This type is mostly stationary and patients with more severe conditions usually use it. While the two types differ immensely, they both use the same mechanisms to nebulize particles.

Where to Find an Ultrasonic Nebulizer

Ultrasonic nebulizers can be found in retail outlets such as Walmart, Walgreens, CVS, and Costco. They can also be found online on Amazon, Paypal Shopping, and eBay. Ultrasonic nebulizers often cost between $150 and $200 but can also be found for as low as $50 and as high as $300. While products differ, most ultrasonic nebulizer kits come with the actual nebulizer, a detachable mouthpiece, an AC/DC adapter, a number of medication cups, several replacement filters, and one or two masks in varying sizes.