Medicines delivered by inhalers are an effective, easy and convenient way to deliver the correct amount of medicine into your breathing tubes or airways. Most people with COPD can effectively use their inhalers to manage their conditions. This is preferred as inhalers are more practical, convenient and are less likely to cause infection.
Sometimes however, if you cannot use your inhalers correctly a nebuliser might be prescribed.
In a nebuliser, pressurised air is pumped through liquid to form a fine mist that is inhaled through a face mask or mouthpiece. The pump is usually driven by electricity; some pumps may be driven by a battery or 12 volt car batteries.
A mouthpiece stops the medicine going into the eyes and on the skin which sometimes causes irritations.
