Three nasal spray mistakes your patients are probably making

When patients say that nasal spray isn’t alleviating their symptoms, ask them to show you how they use it. Lauren Ott, PA-C, of Branchville, S.C., uses this approach and has found that many patients need to improve their technique.

“Patients often aim toward the septum, look up at the ceiling, or sniff forcefully after each spray,” she writes in the current issue of FPM’s Practice Pearls. “These mistakes greatly reduce efficacy and can cause irritation and even nose bleeds. I always show them how to do it correctly (chin down, aim straight back, sniff gently after each spray). It still may take two to five days of consistent use to alleviate their condition.”

Read more Practice Pearls from your colleagues in FPM. Got a Pearl you’d like to share? Comment below or send it to FPM.