Supplementary oxygen is considered a lifesaving treatment for many patients. Patients with serious ailments like lung diseases or pulmonary hypertension need supplementary oxygen to survive. It prevents low levels of oxygen in the body system (which can be life-threatening) and can keep a comatose patient going.
Source: Higher Standards Caregiver Training
While we can all agree that oxygen is a very useful invention, its usage brings about some side effects for patients. Excluding the discomfort of having to wear the oxygen masks, its usage can cause side effects, one of which is a dry nose.
Dry nose is caused by the dry air in supplementary oxygen. The air is often dry so as to prevent contaminations or infections. However, with all that dry air flowing into you, your nose, in turn, begins to run, hence another side effect: the runny nose.
Other side effects of Supplementary oxygen include
- Nasal Inflammation
- Chapped lips
- Dry throat
- Bloody nose
- Tiredness or Fatigue
- Sleepiness or Drowsiness
- Morning headaches
How to stop a runny nose when using oxygen
Having a constant runny nose is not exactly ideal, but seeing as you require oxygen for your treatment, it is a side effect you must learn to deal with. Still, if your runny nose cannot be managed any more, there are certain options you could try. However, before you try any remedies, you must speak to your doctor first. Only your doctor can give you the go-ahead with anything related to your treatment. You should know that doing anything without the knowledge of your doctor can lead to serious health issues.
Remedies you can try with the consent of your doctor include;
- Creams: Using water-based products or oil-in-water creams on your dry lips and nose can relieve the dryness and reduce your runny nose. Your cream should not have any petroleum jelly in it. Avoid Vaseline at all costs.
- Saline sprays and gels: These can also help decongest your nasal passages, but beware of them. They can damage your nasal passages and make things even worse.
- Add a humidifier: According to studies, a humidifier might work. The only drawback is that the humidity is wet (water), and adding water to the process increases the chances of infections and contaminations. This is why your doctor must be informed of any attempt you make to ease your side effects. Your doctor has to dictate just how much humidity you can get. With the humidifier added in, you get a dose of moisture which will relieve the dryness and runny nose.
Of all the methods here, Saline sprays seem to be the best pick among supplementary oxygen patients.
When it comes to dry oxygen treatment, a runny nose is unavoidable. You could stop it with one of the suggestions stated in this article, and you could also try sitting upright. Many patients believe that slouching makes your nose run even more. This myth, however, isn’t a proven method.
A runny nose is a side effect of dry oxygen treatment that can be managed with the help of your doctor.
