Can You Put Albuterol In a Humidifier? Solved!

Humidifiers are the best when it comes to improving the humidity level of your home. Albuterol is usually administered using a metered dose inhaler, inhaled with a nebulizer, or taken as a pill or liquid.

Apart from these methods, can you put Albuterol in a humidifier? In this post, I talk more about this and the proper ways you can take Albuterol. Enjoy.

[snippet]

What is Albuterol?

Albuterol is a bronchodilator used to treat difficulty breathing, shortness of breath, chest tightness, and wheezing caused by diseases such as asthma and COPD, which is short for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. It provides relief by relaxing and opening the air passages, which makes it easier to breathe.

[/snippet]

Albuterol
Albuterol Aerosol

[snippet]

Can you Put Albuterol in a Humidifier?

No, don’t put Albuterol in a humidifier. A humidifier breaks down water into moisture to improve the humidity level in your home. When Albuterol is added to a humidifier, it will be more diluted, thus reducing how effective the drug will work. If you wish to change the delivery method of Albuterol, consult your doctor.

[/snippet]

What Can I Put in My Humidifier?

The only thing that should go into your humidifier is distilled water or demineralized water.

  • Distilled water is water that has been boiled and then condensed back to liquid form. This removes all of its impurities like bacteria, salts, and other minerals. This is the best type of water to use in a humidifier. You can buy it from a store near you or make distilled water at home.
  • Demineralized water is water that has been stripped of all dissolved minerals. It is more economical, and you can get it by reverse osmosis, deionization, or electrodialysis. Although demineralization removes minerals, it does not remove viruses and bacteria. We suggest you use demineralized water in a warm mist humidifier to help kill bacteria as the water is boiled in the humidifier.

How to Take Albuterol Correctly

1. Use a Nebulizer

Albuterol can be administered using a nebulizer. A nebulizer works like a humidifier but is used to change liquid medicine to aerosol. A nebulizer also comes with a mouthpiece or face mask, and a person breathes the mist produced through it.

Child Using Nebulizer
Child Using Nebulizer – Source

Different types of nebulizers include jet nebulizers, ultrasonic nebulizers, and mesh nebulizers. According to Viatris, you can use albuterol in a nebulizer for adults and children older than two years. A doctor will prescribe the correct dosage and how frequently to use the medication.

2. Use an Inhaler

An inhaler, also known as a puffer, is a medical device used to deliver medicine through a person’s mouth into the lungs through a person’s breath. Inhalers are preferred because they make it easier and faster to deliver a drug to a specific body region. They also reduce some of the side effects of taking medicine orally.

Albuterol-inhaler
Albuterol Inhaler

Inhalers are effective for treatments of asthma or COPD, like salbutamol, albuterol, corticosteroids, and salmeterol. There are different types of inhalers; they all serve other purposes and require different techniques. If you use an inhaler, clean it periodically to avoid blockage due to medication buildup.

Apart from using a nebulizer or inhaler, you can also take albuterol orally. However, we recommend you use this medicine as directed by your doctor. Read and follow the instructions provided and ask your doctor any questions.