What to expect from nebuliser treatment for asthma

You usually sit upright and breathe the mist through a mouthpiece or mask. A clinician checks your breathing, oxygen level and response before deciding whether more treatment is needed. As the airways relax, chest tightness and wheeze may ease, and breathing may feel less effortful.

Some reliever medicines cause temporary tremor, a racing heartbeat, nervousness or headache. Report these effects rather than stopping treatment by yourself. Nebulised medicine is not a replacement for an asthma action plan or regular preventer treatment.

Follow the clinician's instructions about medicines and observation. Keep your reliever inhaler available, use a spacer if advised, and update your asthma action plan after a significant flare. Avoid smoke, strong scents and other triggers that you recognise.

If symptoms improve, continue to watch your breathing because relief can wear off. Arrange follow-up to review triggers, inhaler technique and whether your regular treatment needs adjustment. Never increase doses beyond the plan without medical advice.

Call emergency services for severe difficulty breathing, blue lips, exhaustion, confusion, collapse, or inability to speak in full sentences. Seek urgent assessment if symptoms are not improving after the prescribed treatment, return quickly, or require reliever doses more often than your plan allows.

Ask what triggered the flare, how the nebuliser medicine differs from your inhaler, when to repeat treatment, how to follow your action plan, and when you need a review.