Understanding how your lungs and your respiratory system work will lead to a better understanding of nebulizer systems and nebulizer treatments. Nebulizer treatments deliver medicine directly to the areas of your lungs in need.

Process of Proper Lung Function:

  • Your lungs expand, drawing in outside air
  • Oxygen from the outside air reaches your alveoli (small air sacs) at the bottom of your lungs
  • In the alveoli, oxygen is absorbed into the bloodstream
  • Carbon dioxide then takes the oxygen’s place within the alveoli
  • You breath out, releasing the carbon dioxide into the outside air
  • This process is continually repeated

As the air you draw into your lungs goes further down to the alveoli, the airways become smaller and smaller. The narrowing airways affect your nebulizer treatment because the smaller airways restrict a nebulizer treatment’s larger particles from reaching the deepest depths of your lungs. This is why particle size is so important – particles too large can’t pass through the narrowest of airways. On the flipside, particles too small will flow straight through the lungs and won’t be absorbed by your alveoli.

How to Maintain Proper Lung Function:

  • Don’t smoke – tobacco carries carcinogens and the smoke damages lung tissue
  • Exercise often to open smaller airways not used during rest
  • Maintain a balanced diet – Vitamin C and D, Magnesium and Selenium all have shown to promote healthy lung function
  • Vitamin C and D help control your immune system, which fights off infections and inflammation (found in fruits and fortified dairy products respectively)
  • Magnesium helps naturally open your airways, reducing airway constriction that hinders breathing (found in peanuts, corn, rice, low-fat dairy products)
  • Selenium promotes a healthy immune system and repairs damaged lung tissue that could otherwise lead to cancer (found in fresh veggies, seafood, and low-fat chicken)
Due to the moist environment within your lungs, they are susceptible to infection. You can prevent infection and maintain healthy lung function by following these tips and consuming the right nutrients each day. This will not only let you breathe easier, but it will also let you continue to do the daily activities you enjoy.