When nebulizers were first introduced they offered health professionals with an innovative new way to treat conditions that affected the respiratory system.

Prior to this it had been incredibly difficult to treat breathing problems in patients outside of the hospital environment. This meant that if you suffered from a serious asthma attack or similar problem then it would have required hospitalization. Nebulisers allowed patients to treat themselves at home and reduce the dependency on hospitals and doctors.

Nebulizers improved quality of life for thousands of patients around the world and provided an effective and functional way to deliver medication to the respiratory system.

How Nebulisers Work

Nebulizers are quite simple devices that are used to convert liquid medication into aerosol droplets. This makes liquid medication suitable for inhalation. Using nebulisers allows the medication to be drawn safely and easily into the lungs to treat a wide range of conditions including asthma, cystic fibrosis and bronchiectasis.

There are different types of nebulizers available including devices that use compressed air to break up liquid medication and also ultrasonic versions. Nebuliser devices are prescribed to patients based on individual health needs and also the type of medication being taken.

Modern Uses of Nebulizers

The use of nebulisers has declined in the modern world of medicines. This is mainly because new and improved ways of delivering medicine have been developed. These days it is more common for asthma and other conditions to be treated with metered dose inhalers (MDI). These are lightweight, easy to use, efficient and much more suitable for busy modern lives.

However nebulizers do still have an important role to play in modern health care. Although no longer recommended as a first line treatment device many health experts still believe nebulizers are useful. They are recommended for emergency treatment (such as serious asthma attacks) and also the long-term treatment of serious conditions such as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and cystic fibrosis.

Nebulisers are sometimes more appropriate for patients in the following situations:

• Ideal for very small children that need assistance with their treatment.
• Suitable for elderly patients with weak or arithmetic hands that cannot use MDIs easily.
• Nebulizers are effective at delivering high dose inhaled drugs. This means many patients suffering from acute asthma often feel much more confident using nebulisers as they are effective in emergency situations to stabilise breathing quickly.
• Patients suffering from COPD can often report significant improvements in conditions following the use of nebulizers. This is linked to evidence showing that the aqueous vapour delivered by air-driven nebulisers can improve mucus viscosity and ease expectoration.
• Nebulizers can also be used in combination with MDIs for an effective long-term treatment plan for patients suffering from respiratory conditions.

Working in the medical world, I get to see many situations where simple, easy, hypnosis could be used. There are everyday medical procedures that frighten many patients. Such as getting your blood taken or even getting a shot. Some patients get so frightened that they actually can faint. Sometimes people actually get so frightened that their veins constrict and get smaller, therefore, making it even more difficult to start an I.V. line. Some people will never go to a doctor because of this fear. Hypnosis affords a simple perfect solution to this problem that you can carry with you anywhere.

I.V. ‘s are a way to administer fluids and/or medications directly into the circulatory system. Hypnosis can help to alleviate or take away the discomfort and the fear. Injections are simply a way to get your body to slowly absorb various medications. Here are some simple hypnotic techniques that anyone can learn.

Simple dissociation technique works well in these situations. Just imagine being in a safe place real or imagined. Make it as real as possible. See what you would see, hear what you would hear, taste what you would taste. The idea is to make it as real as possible.

Some other visualizations that work can be that the patient can “picture and imagine” a thick gel pad covering the arm. It becomes thicker and thicker. So thick, that nothing can be felt underneath the pad.

Another visualization to use is simply going into self-hypnosis and imagine having the arm get numb. You will be able to feel them working, maybe a little discomfort but nothing will bother you. Some people respond well to the idea of having an “empty sleeve” so that they do not even know there is an arm there.

For blood draws, one may want to add the visualization of the veins dilating filling up with blood pumping to the surface. Or imagine floating in a warm bathtub and you veins just feeling the heat of the warm water. What you may find that will happen is that the veins will dilate just by the pure visualization of the warm water.

For needles, practice getting so relaxed that your arm feels as if it is not a part of your body. Because of your powerful mind, you have the ability to turn off the sensation in an arm, a leg, anywhere on your body. Just like a switching station, you can shut off the feeling of the hand or the arm or whatever part you want.

If you have a fear from a previous incident as a child, hypnosis is the perfect solution to releasing that old emotions.

You may want to schedule an appointment with a medical hypnotist who specializes in this area. I know that I work with patients even by phone or Skype if they can’t come into the office. Sometimes, I even go into the hospital setting.