Nebulizers
Your airways can swell and narrow as they become irritated and congested with mucus. This makes it hard for the medicine that you take to reach into the airways where the medication can work. Nebulizers turn liquid medication into an aerosol that is inhaled over a period of minutes, compared to a metered-dose inhaler, which delivers a quick blast of medicine all at once.
The term nebulizer is actually the name of the receptacle where the liquid medication is placed. The nebulizer unit refers to the machine that operates the nebulizer. There are a variety of different types of nebulizers and nebulizer units.
Jet nebulizers are used with air compressor-driven machines called nebulizer compressors and are approved for use with all available nebulizer medications.
Ultrasonic nebulizer units use sound waves to burst liquid molecules into mist. These units are usually very quiet or silent, and can be used with most nebulized medications. Your provider will prescribe the nebulizer equipment that will most effectively deliver your specific medication.