4:30 p.m.

I've already touched on nebulizer usage in children with RSV and RAD, but there are many other ailments that utilize nebulizers for proper treatment. These ailments affect people of all ages and all backgrounds, reiterating the importance of nebulizers in places where they're in such short supply and high demand.

Some of the most common ailments treated with nebulizer usage are:

• Cystic Fibrosis
- Nebulizers are used extensively by cystic fibrosis patients because it delivers a bolus dose of medication directly into the lungs. Cystic fibrosis patients will typically put a bronchodilator, mucus thinners and antibiotics in their aerosol. Usually 2 aerosol sessions per day will be prescribed by a physician for persons with cystic fibrosis.
• Asthma
- Asthma comes in many types: allergic asthma, childhood/juvenile asthma, exercise induced asthma, cough-variant asthma, occupational asthma and nocturnal asthma. Asthma can range from mild to severe in all of it's forms.
• COPD
- Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is a lung condition affecting millions of people worldwide. One way to manage or treat COPD is with nebulizers. Your doctor may prescribe a nebulizer to increase lung function and reduce COPD symptoms.
• Pneumonia
Pneumonia is an infection of the lungs that is caused by bacteria, viruses, fungi, or parasites. It is characterized primarily by inflammation of the alveoli in the lungs or by alveoli that are filled with fluid (alveoli are microscopic sacs in the lungs that absorb oxygen). At times a very serious condition, pneumonia can make a person very sick or even cause death. Although the disease can occur in young and healthy people, it is most dangerous for older adults, babies, and people with other diseases or impaired immune systems.