Teaching patients to use nasal sprays | BMJ Learning

Intranasal corticosteroids are the most effective medication for hay fever, but patients need to use their nasal spray correctly to feel the full effects.
Here, Guy Scadding, Consultant Allergist, Royal Brompton and Harefield Trust NHS, demonstrates how to teach a patient to use a nasal spray.
For more on treating hay fever, take BMJ Learning's 1-hour course: bit.ly/nasalsp...
After completing this course you should:
- Understand the stepwise approach to the treatment of patients with hay fever, and the different treatments available
- Recognise when oral corticosteroid use may be necessary
- Understand the role of nasal saline irrigation in the treatment of hay fever
- Know the treatment options available for pregnant women and children with hay fever
- Recognise when referral for immunotherapy may be appropriate.

[@CanIHasThisName]

Wow. This is something that honestly should be graphically showed on every box.

[@Forgotten_Foods]

You can imagine how big pharma profits plummet as the patients gets more informed about this

[@stanislavdimitrov8800]

No company wants to give people more ways to sue them, by making non-crucial statements that open up more space for mistakes.

[@mommingpursuit]

Need a QR code for this video on the directions

[@matt92hun]

I just followed the instructions on the little paper manual in the box and it worked.

[@deiterp3912]

@@Forgotten_Foods Always going after the low hanging fruit with big pharma "for profit company wants profit" like that's some high IQ take. It would actually be interesting if anyone who has ever said that gave specific reasons instead of huge generalizations. I'm sure big pharma is making crazy profits off... not having a diagram on nasal spray? You do realize most pharma profits are from patented medication, right?

[@michellem9392]

I've been using nasal sprays all wrong for decades. Now I don't get that bitter taste at the back of my throat. I appreciate this video!

[@smrduty_tchor]

Trust me, mate, you are not the only one.

[@tiortedrootsky]

Its probably 99% of people...

[@soumikpaulthebeast]

Hey I'm here too

[@gallahant]

I think all of us use them wrong, because the damn doctors that prescribe them to us, never teach us how to properly use them!

[@snorman1911]

And to think all you had to do was read the instructions...🤡

[@Hannodb1961]

Odd that no one seems to think it is important to tell you this when prescribing a nasal spray.

[@AzafTazarden]

@arnod.1421Not really, the patient will use as much as the doctor prescribes whether they use it correctly or not, so they'll always buy the same amount

[@AzafTazarden]

@arnod.1421 but they won't use more if they don't even know they're using it wrong unless they use more than the prescribed amount. Otherwise they'll just think the spray doesn't really work

[@AzafTazarden]

@arnod.1421 If a medication doesn't work as well as you expect it to you just take more instead of talking to your doctor? Is that how you treat your health?

[@DJ-nh6wq]

My pharmacist showed me this exact same way to spray my nasal meds when I filled the script.

[@citrine_sunset]

this exact description is usually right one the instructions. i got them in the bag with prescriptions, and get them in the box for OTC, at least for both flonase and astepro & their generic versions. we need to normalize reading directions as a society lol

[@rxnnnz9698]

Wow i've been using it wrong my whole life. Thank you random doctor from the internet for explaining something that none of the doctors I've seen, including specialists, did🙏

[@maybo9458]

😂😂😂random dr from the internet lol, lol 😂😂😂

[@manaf52]

I would say from someone who had suffered from permenant nose problems ,this is the best tutorial for using sprays on internet ! Well done

[@LJ808]

Oh wow, I really have been doing this wrong for years. This is a huge help, especially since my doctor recently prescribed two nasal sprays for me. Thank you so much!

[@angelmonroy3012]

hope you feel better now!

[@LJ808]

@@angelmonroy3012 I do! Thank you 😁

[@scottdenise32]

Same here.

[@Jackiecarlet]

So I use Flonase and have for many years. Works great. I read the directions on the pamphlet years ago and this is exactly how I do it. I CANT BELIEVE I DID IT RIGHT 😂

[@_R8x_]

I'm in my 40s and I finally learned how to use nasal sprays. Thank you.

[@thilagavathig4051]

Excellent demonstration, diagrams, explanation to make things clear to ignorant patients. The diagrams plays a super role in teaching and learning. 👌

[@andymerrett]

"ignorant patients". Sadly that word is used in a derogatory way, which may not have been your intention. However, a patient is only ignorant if they haven't been shown how to correctly administer something, so really, whose fault is it? I'd suggest the manufacturers and doctors are at just as much, if not greater, fault.

[@hyperplayer22]

Why double spacing looks so ugly..

[@piggysister01]

My nasal spray has never worked. Nobody took the time to show me this. I’m not sure I was far wrong but will pay extra attention and hope!

[@Telukin]

I am a regular Dymista user, and I was aiming directly up (90 degrees to the floor). I'll certainly try angling outward and see how that goes! Very hard to resist the post-nasal drip snort however! 🤣

[@limiv5272]

It's not just outward, it's also more towards the back of the head. Good luck

[@TheKnaeckebrot]

if you resist the snort it wont taste (as) bad! :)

[@Србомбоница86]

Dymista ugh 😩😩😩 the "lovely"taste it has ,you can never forget it

[@SAMANTHACLEGG-xj6sl]

Watching this completely turned around the nasal issue I had and even with going privately with a prescription nasal spray from an expensive practioner they did not even show me the correct way to use it. So thank you !

[@somekindoftactics]

thanks for crystal clear instructions, especially for opening a tip before spraying - I just realised why these sprays didn't work my entire life :)))

[@Ty-J_250]

I have had Chronic Sinusitis/Rhinitis for over 10yrs....I've had two surgeries and have tried every nasal spray under the sun - including the strongest ones and nothing worked... I always felt like I wasn't using them properly and often had the liquid just drip back down my throat... thanks a lot of this. I'm going to try to get another subscription. You might have saved my life with this one... hopefully something can work - now that I know how to use them properly. Tired of constantly having a blocked nose everyday and all year round, migraine headaches and more...

[@hustleno-filta5373]

I get them for 6 years now it makes you weak sick and depressed I get pressure on one side of my head the side that is blocked !!

[@s.d.7946]

Try citri drops nasal spray

[@hengineer]

the spray is fine, but to truly clear out the "crap" so to speak, nothing keeps me clear like a sinus rinse.

[@_MarianaSilva_]

Nasonex has instructions in its leaflet on how to use the spray correctly, and that's exactly how he teaches. That makes a huge difference, at least for my rhinitis treatment.

[@anomonyous]

I have never ever read that. Not that I could if I tried. It's too small for me.

[@AishaKyes]

at this point I think I'm even breathing incorrectly 😂 I stumbled upon this randomly but I will make sure to use it that way when I have the need to!

[@extremeheat9283]

LMFAO

[@maabrar8577]

Just make sure your stomach is coming out when you breathe in and goes in when you exhale😊

[@SAMANTHACLEGG-xj6sl]

Watching this completely solved my nasal issue which had been a problem for 2 months with side effects of vibrations in my ear. An expensive private ENT doctor prescribed me a nasal spray without these important instructions of directing the nozzle towards the ear. So thank you very much !

[@daadla]

Was doing it the wrong way till date. May Allah help our doctors spare time to engage people on right way of taking medicine

[@molamolalaaa2968]

This makes so much sense! I was told to breathe deeply when spraying the bottle. Been doing it wrong for years!

[@Spigae]

I was wondering why this appeared in my recommendations but it is actually helpful and well explained.

[@ZedUndSonstNichts]

This video showed randomly up in my recommendations. Glad to have learned how they actually work.

[@lindaj5492]

I was taught this by the ENT Consultant: seems counterintuitive to aim outwards, but he explained why, just as in this video. I’m going to check whether the info that comes with the spray includes a diagram - it should!

[@anomonyous]

Yeah... Figured that one out a few years ago, when a fellow nosespray user with sinusitis told me how it should actually be used. She'd been using it wrong for decades. I'd been using it wrong for over a decade and a half. Though slightly different kinds, we both also used regular saline nasal sprays. The conditions due to why I had to use this (and other) medications are harsh enough on my nasal passage and are anything but pleasant. They sometimes give me nosebleeds too. But using these sprays wrong, massively increased the pain, discomfort and bleeds. Her doctor finally decided to tell her how to actually use a spray at one point and she told me... The pain that could've been avoided...

[@artimisrok313]

When I followed the spray instruction for Zavzpret I ended up with my all of my emergency migraine medication down my throat. And unfortunately the medication is so awful I vomited. I tasted that medicine in my throat for the rest of the day and was sick and miserable. Scared me for weeks to try it again. Did it like you said and had no problems. Super grateful

[@dayesimpson]

Wow, I had no idea and have obviously been doing it wrong. Thanks so much!

[@SzamBacsi]

who tf downvotes such a useful video? (14 so far) BIG THANKS for the vid!!

[@abc33155]

How do you know how many downvotes a video has. Is there some trick to see the count?

[@bluepawn]

I have never heard of this !! I m an idiot all my life. Thanks for this wonderful video specially the virtual video of the head and how it works as i couldn't see on the doctor.

[@Steve_in_NJ]

I've been tilting my head back all these years on Flonaise. I'm going to do it the "right" way as soon as I press "Comment". Thank you!

[@TheKnaeckebrot]

I'll try and teach my patients to use the right hand for the left nostril & vice versa, doing this will automatically give a slight outward angle!

[@KarelCudej007]

Valuable lesson after years on this world.

[@SylvesterAshcroft88]

This makes a lot of sense, but i honestly don't feel like it's stated anywhere on the medication, to use it like this, thanks for the video!

[@maubraymzoma6616]

Definitely needed this, since this is a first time I've used this.

[@dorotheabriggs4447]

That was very helpful, I have a nasal spray but forgot how to use it. I no longer have the packaging.

[@dqnsbrgeos5454]

Watch it 20 times

[@zden6652]

big help for my allerghic rhinitis

[@mackenziedrake]

Wow. This makes all the difference. Thank you for posting this!

[@vermine18]

Just got some nasal spray and went right back to this video. What a difference!!

[@ggpaula6476]

How important detail ! Thanks so much

[@nijmegenares]

I love how serious they're both sitting there 😂

[@stephenmiller8556]

That was very helpful. Thank you very much. I was told to aim for the eyeball, but they didn’t tell me which eyeball

[@viperfwarlock]

Thanks for this. I used a nasal spray for the first time and it's effective.

[@RubenTheCartographer]

Another important thing is the correct way to spray it is with you opposing hand, left nostril = right hand. You can see that happening in this video as well (and that the guy in the beginning does not do this correctly).

[@m-notes]

Thanks for this my nose is clogged up and I can’t breathe from it so I hope this does the trick

[@MsHenifer]

Thank you 1000 times over!!!

[@riot768]

Honestly this is such a simple video but so helpful. I feel like many doctors and pharmacists give nose spray and most people don't know how to correctly use it. Years of just swallowing my nose spray. Thank you!

[@vicky.yy25]

Thank you for this! I have to use the nasal spray for two months 😅

[@cherishjackson5214]

This was extremely helpful!

[@bmorestance]

I was able to do it properly. Thanks for this!

[@mixeraf]

Terimakaih 😊, akhirnya saya bisa menggunaknya dengan benar .

[@AboveInShadow]

The guy pointed the spray to the septum and the graphic says that's wrong...video fail L

[@james.telfer]

This diagram should to be on the instructions of every nasal spray. Who needs words!

[@flare320]

Starts at 1:40

[@SiSi-xg1hk]

So much more helpful than what you learn at the pharmacy 😅 Mine told me to gargle afterwards though in case any of it gets down my throat...well maybe if I just do it right the first time, I won't need that

[@tedemez]

Przy niektórych lekach należy przepłukać gardło.

[@charleskutrufis9612]

Thank You

[@mrq1701]

I usually separate the two sprays with a few minutes of delay. I'll spray each nostril once. Then continue to something like brushing my teeth and shaving my face, then I will do the second spray in each nostril. I figure I am less likely to have as much "runoff" that way.

[@shekharhs3984]

Helpful. Thank you

[@Arouxayis]

I'm so glad British Matt Stone took time out of his day to teach us how to use nose sprays properly.

[@garrethgarrett4858]

wow...over 30yrs doing it wrong ! You have to wonder why no one tells you this dont you ? Thanks for posting this

[@muurrarium9460]

Yup, nasal-sprays always gave me horrendous nosebleeds. Now I just get unwanted brochoconstriction (but that is supposed to pass after a few weeks)

[@Mylapotz]

thanks for this information really helpful.

[@FMFvideos]

Instructions unclear, I've sprayed my butt.

[@Shelley-yh1bv]

😂😂

[@kawrno5396]

Neither the doctor nor the pharmacist taught me this. This is so basic. What's wrong in my medical sector?

OK, so far, so good, but how do you put your fingers there so that the "separator" of the nostrils wouldn't hinder your fingers from puffing in?

[@RyanWilliams222]

A helpful video, but even the guy demonstrating how to use the nasal spray had it pointed toward his septum when he sprayed it! That was smart to put the animation in right afterward.

[@نصرالعراقي-ف8س]

Very nice note!

[@PrincessofKeys]

so basically spray towards the outside of the nose instead got it! I want to try this kind of allergy medication and see if it works for me.

[@JamesF0790]

Wow, thanks for this. I just got given a nasal spray and I was using it wrong.

[@Georgtt1968]

Благодарю свое медицинское образование и хороший учителей, что знал это многие годы своей жизни)

[@अभय-ज4य]

So glad i saw this video

[@emilysanchez2830]

thank you sm for this video💜

[@kolbechowdhury4643]

Why the doctor and the animation shows different thing

[@HelenNg-b7b]

I don't find them different though

[@CaraVerde]

Yeah. They tilted the nozzle outwards in the graphic, but the doc tilted it inwards.

[@ImaniJHicks]

Thanks!!!

[@magichatake]

Thank you for the lesson!! 😊

[@ericsingletary5448]

All this time I was using it wrong thank you !

[@bindair_dundat]

Yeah, my left nostril is probably like a labyrinth. At times I wonder if it even leads to anywhere.

[@vzero8612]

I took saline nasal drop for 2 days and i stopped it when i noticed I was getting hives all over my body it comes and goes. It's been 3 days since I've stopped taking the spray but I'm still getting hives on my body.

[@vellomusic3003]

You might be having an allergic reaction. You should tell your doctor right away.

[@vzero8612]

@@vellomusic3003 i stopped using saline nasal drop for 2 weeks now and i still get hives all over my body everyday at random times.

[@tope9885]

Thanks so much, I got a nasal spray today, been trying to figure out how to use it properly all day, later in the day randomly saw this, and now my premium air package has been restored.

[@DwynTwo]

THAT'S why the part between my nose and my throat always felt so sore when I used nasal spray

[@MoZz..]

thanks

[@narcisaloaizamina7433]

Muchas gracias por su explicación, muy útil ❤👏👍

[@alibintariq8509]

Kindly tell about the angle from the lateral view

[@happinessislaughter]

lol I've been doing exactly the ❌ one for years and just read that the spray shouldn't drip down your throat and was like huh?

[@spicerow]

HAHAHA SAME

[@carolburnett8372]

your diagram is the best, when I see where it goes when you spray to the side, this word picture I will not forget......thanks BMJ LEARNING......

[@mehrintelligence]

The instructions printed on my spray are a bit different. It says you should sniff while spraying. Also it says nothing about tilting the spray outward

[@MyouKyuubi]

this is a huge help, thanks! :)

[@JulieHaselum]

Ive tried your way for a couple of days with my prescribed dymista and its such a relief not having that taste after using...Thank you for this great information!

[@sciencetest8]

You have to tilt head downward

[@dovewingKor]

나잘스프레이 뿌리고 있는데 많은 도움이 되었습니다 :D

[@theguym]

I've been using different nose sprays for over a decade now, and just a few days ago, the pharmacist explained to me how to use it (as shown in the video). Life changer! 😅

[@ekong59]

I used to work in an Allergy clinic and apart from how it was shown in this video, we would also instruct our patients to try and aim to the direction of their ears. We always check their technique at follow up especially if they tell us that the spray did not do its job very much.

[@FeynmanME]

thx. helpful

[@ClinicalMedicoSchool]

👍 GREAT

[@jxlialopes]

MEU DEUS OBRIGADA POR ESSE VÍDEO

[@kavinduchamith8005]

Me watching this random video at 2.30am..☠️

[@smyle78]

the human demonstration was the same as the wrong one on the example schematic, the direction of the spray was either inwards to the center...

[@linlee5162]

Embarrassing been doing wrong for years 😡

[@goodtimesbeatz6718]

Man i have swollen turbinates on my left side i want it to go down ⬇️ some so bad I use Afrin and my humidifier helps alot went to Ent doctor he talked surgery im not ready for surgery lol ..im Praying For us all to have good and safe outcome💯

[@weepingcat6843]

Ty

[@tsram]

So, should I aim it towards the bridge or away from the bridge? The demonstration and the animation did things completely opposite..

[@SeraphinaHayes]

Am I supposed to not feel the fluid being sprayed into my nose? I spray it and I don't feel it

[@elliottwood5423]

Oof...i had been turning it upside down tilting my head back and spraying the liquid down my throat

[@MAKgargos]

Easy and clear. And today I am sick and just bought a bottle. Perfect timing.