A flexible tube with 1-1.5 cm long prongs made of plastic or polyethylene that is put into the patient’s nostrils and is connected to an oxygen source, is known as a nasal cannula. Nasal cannulas are commonly used for medical operations.
The use of a nasal cannula is typically reserved for patients who have trouble breathing in oxygen. They strive to maximize patient comfort during treatment because they are light and do not add any weight to the patient.
Patients who use nasal cannulas can go about their everyday activities with no problems.
In this article, we are going to explain how you can put on a nasal cannula.
When Are Nasal Cannula Used?
Several treatments involve the use of a nasal cannula. It is typically utilized with patients who require long-term, low-intensity oxygen therapy.
In addition to those who are experiencing medical emergencies and who are believed to feel better when oxygen is administered. Lastly, it will be applied to patients who are unable to wear a mask.
The oxygen flow rate is often set to be 2–6 L/min when using a nasal cannula. A greater flow rate is believed to irritate the patient’s nasal passages and make them uncomfortable.
How To Put A Nasal Cannula On?
The following are all the steps in which you can follow to put a nasal cannula on yourself.
Step 1: Select The Right Size
Typically, cannulas come in sizes for infants, children, and adults. You need to ensure that the cannula does not extend too deep into your nose. Some brands have a variety of sizes, including small, medium, and large.
Make sure the cannula you select feels comfortable in your nostril when it is inserted. It might be too big if the cannula irritates your nostrils. In addition, it may not be the proper size if the cannula doesn’t work properly.
Step 2: Plug The Cannula Into The Oxygen
You will find a connector that connects to your oxygen tank or concentrator at one end of the nasal cannula.
Connect the nasal cannula to the end of your oxygen supply. Ensure that it is inserted firmly, to prevent oxygen leaking.
Step 3: Alter The Oxygen Flow
Your doctor will choose the best flow for you. Depending on this flow rate, they will usually adjust the oxygen level.
Step 4: Insert The Cannula Into Your Nose
Numerous cannulas have rounded ends to easily fit inside your nostrils. Hold the cannula so that the prongs are facing towards you and your nostrils.
Then insert these prongs into your nostrils. Once inserted, wrap the tubes over each ear.
Step 5: Adjust To Fit
To alter the fit, slide the adjuster up the tubes. To loosen or tighten the headset, you simply move the small slider component found below your chin on the tubes up and down.
Although the headset should be secure, two fingers should still fit between both the tubes and your chin. It is too tight if the cannula leaves indentations in your skin, which could cause irritation.
How To Make A Nasal Cannula More Comfortable?
Nasal cannulas aren’t always the most comfortable things to wear. However, there are ways to make them more comfortable.
Wrap The Tubes
To make the tubes more comfortable, tightly wrap fabric tape around your ears. If you are required to use a nasal cannula for extended periods of time, the contact from the tubes may irritate your skin.
Fabric medical tape can be wrapped close to your ears to reduce the friction and hold the tubes in place.
Adjust The Position Of The Tubes
To reduce irritation, reposition the tubes so that they sit higher against your cheeks.
The friction on your skin as you move will be reduced if you wear the tubes higher on your cheeks. Pull the tubes tight to prevent slack from dragging them down while doing this.
In order to lessen the contact against your skin, just like with the ears, you can use tiny pieces of medical tape.
Saline Spray
If your nostrils start to feel dry, use a saline spray. Your nasal passages may occasionally become dry from the continual airflow. Use a straightforward saline spray to restore moisture if this occurs.
Installing a humidifier will give moisture to the air around you if you frequently experience dryness. In some circumstances, you can even directly connect a humidifier to your oxygen supply.
How Often Do You Need To Replace Your Nasal Cannula?
It is important that you know how to put on a nasal cannula. Especially, as you should replace your nasal cannula each day you need to use it. Nasal cannulas should be changed daily because they are meant to be disposable.
By doing this, you can stop bacteria from growing and guarantee that the tubing you use is always effective and of great quality.
If you can’t feel oxygen coming through the nasal prongs, put them into a glass of water to test the nasal cannula’s functionality. You should notice bubbles rising through the water if the nasal cannula is functioning properly.
Conclusion
Nasal cannula are frequently seen and used in medical settings. They provide clean oxygen to patients who require additional breathing support. It is quite simple to put on a nasal cannula.
The most critical thing to remember is to choose the right sized prongs. This will make putting the cannula on a lot easier and will be much more comfortable to wear.
You can adjust the tubes on a nasal cannula to make the whole thing a lot more comfortable to wear.
We hope this article has helped you. Now you ought to know how you can put a nasal cannula on.
