Spring cleaning you nebuliser

Spring is just round the corner and as we all start to dust off the winter cobwebs don't forget to include your nebuliser. Call us on 01942 701210 for advice or find what you're looking for below. 
General guidelines can be found on this link HERE
Omron MicroAir  guidelines are HERE

For those of you with durable medication chambers you can see the cleaning regime in the picture below. By NEBULISER it means the medication chamber NOT the compressor itself!! 
Durable chambers from Pari and Omron can be cleaned the same way as the sidestream from Philips 
So what are we waiting for? Lets fling open those windows, shake off the dust and welcome in spring

Filters for Nebulisers

Most compressor type nebulisers have an inlet filter. This is the part which often gets over looked. Even those of you who change your accessories on a regular basis have been known to forget to check and change the compressors filter. So why is it important? It matters because this is where all the air to be compressed enters the unit, the filter therefore protects the unit from dust in the air and then ultimately your lungs. How often you change yours depends on how often you nebulise, manufacturers instructions and just where you choose to nebulise. Those of you with lots of fabrics, parrots and pets have found out you may have to change it more frequently than recommended. A blocked filter can also be one of the reasons your nebuliser is running slow and if you click HERE you can find hints and tips on how to look after your nebuliser properly.

You can find each of the nebuliser filters listed on the accessory page for your unit by clicking HERE and there are lots of pictures throughout the blog and on our website which you can see HERE if you're not quite sure which nebuliser you have. 
We do still keep stock of filters for some deleted nebulisers such as the Philips Portaneb and Inspiration Elite or you can always call us on 01942 701210 if you're still not sure

Seasonal nebuliser advice

Well doesn't time fly! Yes I'm afraid it's that time of year again.

Now is a good time for those of you who only nebulise occasionally to be dragging your unit from the cupboard, dusting it off and stocking up on spares and accessories. You can do that by clicking HERE. For those of you who have to use your nebuliser a little more often, then maybe it's time it had its annual M.O.T. You can ring us on 01942 701210 or if you prefer  to email and find out if you have one of the units that still requires an annual service or you can ring the manufacturer. There are lots of pages and clickable links throughout the blog about cleaning and caring for your nebuliser.

And what about your annual flu jab? You can find out more here just why it may be a good idea for you and if so why not book your appointment today and if you are still unsure why not chat to any one of our useful links.

Nebuliser Ditty!

We would like to say a big thank you to our poetic customer for this ditty and he would like to apologise to Pam Ayers.

Oh I wish I’d looked after me neb

and rinsed the vaporiser head.

At times when I wheeze 

and struggle to breathe

Oh I wish I’d looked after me neb.

Oh I wish I’d been a little more willin’

To part with a few hard earned shillings.

It needed some spares 

and I didn’t care

Now I’m faced with an extra big billin'

The man on the end of the phone

had brought it along to me home.

He said “Hello Evergreen”.

“The neb is simple to clean”

Time to give back the neb that’s on loan.

Complete with instructions and guidelines,

a medicine chamber and driveline.

Some spare filters a mask,

a contact to ask,

All delivered in practically no time.

At first it was all fine and dandy. 

Whenever I wheezed it was handy.

I soon took it for granted

despite how my wife ranted

The Mrs resembled a banshee!

“The machine needs a simple wipe clean!

The filters aren’t meant to be green! 

The chamber a rinse!

It made the nurse wince!

Such a small effort to make it all gleam.”

So now I’m online for a new one

A few clicks, a card payment and all done.

It will be with me next day

so Evergreen say

Their service is second to non

With the wife now after my spleen!

Advice hints and tips from Evergreen

I promise to strive

Till that day arrives

When they finally make them dry clean!

If you need any help caring for your nebuliser please don't hesitate to get in touch you can phone 01942 701210 or email us here or post below.

Nebuliser Accessories

Have you changed yours recently? 

At least once a week we get a call from a nebuliser user or their carers panicking because their unit isn’t working. As with any machine this is quite possible and over time some just wear out, even under guarantee faults can develop. But the first priority should always be to check your spares and accessories and you can find our full range by clicking HERE or on the red clickable links in this page. 

So how often should you change them?

There is no definite rule and each manufacturer has different recommendations. The questions to ask yourself are:

How often do I nebulise? 

Common sense tells you that if you nebulise several times a day, all year round, you need to be particularly conscientious  Just how long you have been using that chamber? Time flies and somethings can get missed. 

Which medication am I using? 

Some medications are stickier or thicker than others which means extra care has to be taken to ensure all accessories are free from residual medication which may block the jet holes causing the unit to nebulise less efficiently or not at all.

Did you choose a nebuliser with reusable accessories or disposable ones?

So, as a rough guide but by no means a definitive answer

Durable Medication Chambers such as, 

Philips Respironics Reusable Sidestream, Ventstream Sidestream Plus Medication Chamber

Pari LC and the LC Sprint Medication Chamber 

Omron V.V.T. Medication Chamber.

Should be washed in warm soapy water after each use, rinsed and left to air dry.  If kept clean by weekly boiling they can last between 6 to 12 months depending on which unit you chose.  Always dismantle the chambers before boiling and take extra care not to damage the jet holes. 

Disposable Medication Chambers such as,

Clement Clarke Medix Lifecare

Philips Respironics Disposable Sidestream Chamber

Must be washed and rinsed after each use as above but NEVER BOILED and should be changed at least every 12 weeks. 

Don’t forget to replace the baffle when reassembling any of the medication chambers.

Masks and Mouthpieces also need to be washed and rinsed regularly but Drive lines and Air tubes are better kept dry. If you have a durable medication chamber its more likely you will have a durable drive line so check your manufactures instructions. Filters should always be checked regularly to ensure they are clean and dry, some should be changed as often as every 3 months. If filters become blocked your nebuliser won’t function efficiently. 

The Omron MicroAir and the Medix Microneb have a cleaning regime all of their own and more details can be found HERE.

For those of you who suffer from recurrent, frequent infections your heath professional may recommend a different regime and if advised to change your accessories more often it may be more economical to choose a nebuliser with those that are disposable. 

As always we are here to help so please feel free to contact us if you have any worries or concerns with regards choosing the most suitable unit or caring for it afterwards.

MicroAir Cleaning Guidelines

A question we often get asked is, “How do I clean my MicroAir ?”

Omron are one of the manufactures who do try to help out and along with your original instruction manual they are building an online library of guidelines

And this link will take you to U22 MicroAir Instruction manual 

 http://www.omron-healthcare.com/data/catalog/3/119/1/NE-U22-E_05-11-2011%20EN%20web.pdf

Omron recommend that you nebulise clean water to remove medication left in the mesh holes after discarding any residual medication and that the following items should be cleaned after each use:

medication container, mesh cap, mask adaptor, mouthpiece and mask, these parts (NOT THE MAIN UNIT) should be washed in warm soapy water, rinsed to remove soap residue and left to air dry on a lint free cloth. 

NEVER TOUCH THE MESH directly with you fingers or any implement such as a cotton swab

To reduce the risk of infection the parts listed above should also be disinfected which can be done by several methods such as boiling or soaking using either alcohol, commercially available disinfectant such as some dental tablets, or a solution of white vinegar. Not each solution is suitable for all the items listed so please check your manual or the link above 

Always pay particular attention to the mesh cap as residual medication can reduce its performance. 

The main unit can be wiped clean using a moist, not wet, cloth and don’t forget the contacts or electrodes. 

Mr Lewis emailed us to say he was worried about his U22 as “The on off switch was faulty,  turning its self off within 2 seconds of being turned on.”

This can happen and just wiping the contacts isn’t always enough as occasionally when cleaning the medication bottle, your finger or thumb rubs on the two metal contacts on the bottom which then build up a film of grease off your skin. However it can be easily rectified by using something such as a ladies metal nail file to give those two metal contacts, and the contacts on the top of the battery box, a really good scratch to remove the residue.

It worked for Mr Lewis who emailed again to say “ I lightly cleaned the contacts concerned the neb is working fine now. Thank you very much you saved me a couple of weeks of hassle.”

The MicroAir is a reliable efficient nebuliser which gives you the freedom to live your life the way you want. It needs minimal but valuable maintenance and this post should be considered as just an introduction to that care. If your worried or confused at all please feel free to call 01942 701210 or email us HERE. If you have any useful tips you would like to share please feel free to post.