Aerobika/nebulizer cleaning question

Posted by terryb1 @128128terry11t, Sep 2, 2017

I should be doing my aerobika/nebulizer twice a day but have only been doing it once. If I do it twice, I have a question: do you clean/rinse the aerobika and nebulizer after the first treatment of the day or do you simply rinse under regular warm water after the first treatment and do the cleaning/rinsing after the second or final treatment of the day? Must you rinse with distilled water? I guess another question is how long the bacteria live if not in water/soil but simply on the equipment that we use. We all have so many questions. Thanks. Terry

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128 Terry
isn't the bacteria on your equipment your own bacteria? You already have that right? I wash my Aerobika once a week but I only blow into it as I don't use a nebulizer with it. It will be great to see some answers on here to your questions.
Wonder if someone can please answer how long MAC bacteria live if not in water. I read cold germs last 12 hours but I think MAC is different.
KayS

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128Terry....how about if l add the cleaning question to my list of questions to bring to the NJH workshop for patients of NTM in October. Last year they had a respiratory therapist as part of the panel of experts.
tdrell

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That would be wonderful. Thank you. "To clean or not to clean--that is the question." Sorry I couldn't resist. Terry

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@128128terry11t

That would be wonderful. Thank you. "To clean or not to clean--that is the question." Sorry I couldn't resist. Terry

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128terry....ha ha...was Shakespeare an author who used TB as a disease the beautiful heroine was dying from...or am I confusing with Operas???
Meanwhile, current playwrights could use NTM as the "fashionable" disease....then it would get fame!!!! Silly me .tdrell

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@kaystrand

128 Terry
isn't the bacteria on your equipment your own bacteria? You already have that right? I wash my Aerobika once a week but I only blow into it as I don't use a nebulizer with it. It will be great to see some answers on here to your questions.
Wonder if someone can please answer how long MAC bacteria live if not in water. I read cold germs last 12 hours but I think MAC is different.
KayS

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@kaystrand I was wondering the same thing. I also use my Aerobika only to blow into and inhale through my nose. I would not think I would be inhaling any bacteria into my lungs. I rinse mine at night and let it dry on the counter covered with a paper towel, and I wash it in the dishwasher or in sudsy water once or twice a week and dry it the same way.

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@kaystrand

128 Terry
isn't the bacteria on your equipment your own bacteria? You already have that right? I wash my Aerobika once a week but I only blow into it as I don't use a nebulizer with it. It will be great to see some answers on here to your questions.
Wonder if someone can please answer how long MAC bacteria live if not in water. I read cold germs last 12 hours but I think MAC is different.
KayS

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Gina I think we are fine. I wash mine in hot soapy water. I don't use mine much anymore.

Kay

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I am wondering if we should use distilled water to rinse or clean the aerobika and or nebulizer or can we use tap water? Also does anyone know if there is a safer water to drink; spring water or purified drinking water?

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@luvocean

I am wondering if we should use distilled water to rinse or clean the aerobika and or nebulizer or can we use tap water? Also does anyone know if there is a safer water to drink; spring water or purified drinking water?

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Luvocean I've read that boiling water for 10 minutes is the only for sure way to get rid of NTMs. I boil a big pot each day and each evening pour it into a large container. You can refrigerate or not. I think distilled and spring can still have NTMs but not as many.
I think water you drink becomes more important if you have GERD.
I think we should put drinking water on our question list.
Kay S

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@luvocean

I am wondering if we should use distilled water to rinse or clean the aerobika and or nebulizer or can we use tap water? Also does anyone know if there is a safer water to drink; spring water or purified drinking water?

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All that Kay wrote seems to be true. If I get the opportunity to speak with Dr. Falkinham I will ask him about drinking water and if it is really necessary to rinse in distilled water as the instructions direct. It rests also with what kind of life does the bacteria have when not in water or soil or another medium where it is known to exist. If a microbiologist who specializes in NTM has no answers, there are no definitive answers to our questions. I will attempt a call to Dr. Falkinham in mid-September after the Fall semester is underway. Terry

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@luvocean

I am wondering if we should use distilled water to rinse or clean the aerobika and or nebulizer or can we use tap water? Also does anyone know if there is a safer water to drink; spring water or purified drinking water?

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Thank you for your reply. Can you also ask about pseudomonas?

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