Respiratory Treatments

💡TL;DR: ALS gradually weakens the breathing muscles, so most people start with noninvasive ventilation (a BiPAP mask) when symptoms appear. A tracheostomy with a ventilator can extend life by a median of about 21 months after surgery, but it usually means 24/7 dependence on the machine and caregivers

💡TL;DR: Incentive spirometers are devices you slowly inhale through to exercise and reopen your lungs, while peak flow meters are devices you blow into to measure how fast air leaves your lungs. Use a peak flow meter mainly for day-to-day asthma or lung function monitoring, and an incentive spirometer

💡TL;DR: Chest percussion therapy machines use vibrations or gentle thumps on your chest to loosen thick mucus so you can cough it out more easily. They are usually prescribed for chronic lung or neuromuscular conditions when coughing alone is not enough. Vest systems and handheld percussors can cost from

💡TL;DR: Nebulized furosemide means inhaling the diuretic Lasix as a mist to see if it can ease shortness of breath, but it is an experimental, off-label treatment rather than a standard therapy. Generic furosemide tablets are inexpensive, often costing under $10 per month for many patients, while there is

💡TL;DR: COVID-19 can trigger new or worse asthma in a small minority of people, but most people recover without long-term breathing problems. Studies suggest adults who have had COVID-19 are roughly twice as likely to be diagnosed with asthma in the following months as those who were never infected,

💡TL;DR: High flow oxygen therapy is a hospital-only treatment that delivers warmed, humid oxygen at very high flow (often up to 60 liters per minute and close to 100% oxygen) through soft nasal tubing to treat dangerously low blood oxygen. It sits between regular oxygen and a breathing tube,

💡TL;DR: **Most COPD flare-ups start with home treatment using your rescue inhaler or nebulizer plus a short course of oral steroids your doctor prescribes, while more severe flares need oxygen, possible antibiotics, and hospital care.** Guidelines from Michigan Medicine and the Merck Manual Professional put fast-acting bronchodilators first, then

💡TL;DR: For most adults who can use one, a mouthpiece delivers more medication to the lungs because less mist is lost on the face. A mask is the better pick for kids or anyone who can’t seal their lips—go with the option that gives a snug fit

💡TL;DR: Never use tap water in a nebulizer. It isn’t sterile, and aerosolizing it can seed germs into your lungs, including Legionella and nontuberculous mycobacteria. Use sterile 0.9% normal saline, distilled water (for cleaning) or, sterile water labeled for inhalation; single-use saline ampoules typically cost about $0.