How to Use a Bulb Syringe: A Guide for Parents and Caregivers

Have you ever had an infection that caused severe nasal congestion? If yes, then you know how much it impacts the breathing. The nostrils stuffed with mucus do not let the air pass into the lungs, a condition that makes the patient uncomfortable and irritated. The problem aggravates further if the patient is a baby and cannot force the mucus out of their nose. Here, bulb syringes come in handy. But how to use a bulb syringe and know when to avoid its use?

In this article, let us learn how to use a bulb syringe as a step-by-step guide has been presented. In addition, some of the best-quality bulb syringes have also been linked below.

What is a Bulb Syringe?

A bulb syringe is a rubber and plastic-based syringe used to suck the mucus out of a child’s nose. This simple device creates a suction in the nostril which pulls the mucus into the bulb of the syringe and cleans the nasal cavity.

These bulb syringes are made of rubber, so they are easy to handle. However, some of these products have a rubber bulb with a plastic tip. Both disposable and reusable options are available.

How to Use a Bulb Syringe? A Step-by-Step Guide

Learning how to use a bulb syringe is almost essential if you are a parent. As young children are often affected by the change in weather, seasonal infections, as well as food allergies, runny or stuffy nose is a common problem. Hence, it becomes difficult for the child to breathe properly because of excessive mucus in the baby’s nose.

With the help of a bulb syringe, it is possible to remove mucus multiple times a day. For this purpose, the following steps should be taken as a guide to learn how to use a bulb syringe:

Get or Prepare Saline Nose Drops

The first thing you need to do while learning how to use a bulb syringe is to purchase or prepare saline nose drops. These are needed for thinning the consistency of mucus before its suction. Many brands are available for this product. However, you can also make your nasal saline solution by following the given instructions:

• Take 8 ounces of tap water and heat it until boiled to sterilize it. If you have distilled water, there is no need to boil it. Although, you would need to warm it up.
• Remove the boiling water from the heat and let it cool until it becomes lukewarm.
• Add 1/4^th leveled teaspoon of sodium chloride (non-iodized table salt) in it.
• Mix the salt in warm water thoroughly until a clear solution is achieved.
• Pour these saline drops into a covered jar, store these at room temperature, and use it within a week.
• Remember that it is better to prepare fresh saline solution every day if that’s convenient.

Prepare Yourself

While learning how to use a bulb syringe, it is important to keep in mind that hygiene is extremely important during the process. You must start by washing your hands with soapy water followed by drying them with a clean and dry towel.

Prepare the Bulb Syringe

Apart from taking the above measures while learning how to use a bulb syringe, you also need to make sure that the bulb syringe is clean. If it is new, you should open the packaging at the time of usage. If the product is reusable and you have already employed it previously, check to confirm that you washed it thoroughly after the last time you used it. In case of dust trapped in the bulb syringe or, in some cases, visible fungal growth due to remaining moisture in it, replace the product with a new one.

Prepare the Baby

Lay your baby on the bed or in the crib in a way that their head is towards the ceiling. Make sure that the baby is comfortable but still. You can get help from someone to hold your baby in this position so that he or she does not move too much during the procedure.

Pour Saline Solution

Take a nose dropper and fill it with previously prepared saline solution. Pour three to four drops of the solution into one nostril and wait for one minute. The saline solution dissolves the mucus and reduces its viscosity so that it can be suctioned easily. This is an important step while learning how to use a bulb syringe.

Remove Air from the Bulb Syringe

While the nasal drops are working on mucus, take your bulb syringe and push the top of the bulb with your thumb. This will force all the air out of the syringe. Now, your bulb syringe is ready to use.

Insert the Bulb Syringe Tip

Gently place the tip of the bulb syringe into the baby’s nostril. Make sure that the tip seals the nostril completely. While learning how to use a bulb syringe, this step is important as an unsealed nostril will not allow the mucus to clear out properly.

Release Pressure from the Bulb

Gently and slowly release the thumb from the bulb of your syringe. This will allow the air to come back into the bulb which will create a suctioning effect. As a result, the mucus is forced into the bulb syringe.

Remove the Bulb Syringe

Take the bulb syringe out of your baby’s nose carefully. Take a tissue and squeeze the mucus out of the bulb. Repeat the same procedure in the other nostril. You might need to clean each nostril more than once. You can perform the procedure three to four times a day.

Wipe the Baby’s Nose

Using a clean tissue, gently wipe your baby’s nose to prevent skin irritation.

Clean the Bulb Syringe

Once you are done, it is important to clean the product as it is an important part of learning how to use a bulb syringe. For this purpose, you can use the following to rinse the bulb and the syringe either together or separately:

• Soapy water
• Rubbing alcohol (70% isopropyl alcohol)
• Distilled water
• Sterilized water (Tap water boiled and cooled)

Precautionary Measures

When you are learning how to use a bulb syringe, it is essential to keep in mind some of the precautionary measures that are extremely important. Some of these include the following:

• Always use a clean bulb syringe as an unclean and dirty product can become the cause of an infection or allergy.
• Limit suctioning force as too much pressure can irritate the mucosa of the nasal cavity resulting in swelling as well as bleeding. Learning to control the pressure on the bulb is a crucial step in learning how to use a bulb syringe.
• Never use a bulb syringe after feeding your baby. This can lead to vomiting. Always perform the procedure before feeding.
• Never use a bulb syringe with dirty hands. Make sure to clean them before handling the device.
• Avoid using a saline solution that is older than a week. Ideally, you should prepare saline every day and discard it after 24 hours.
• Never use the same bulb syringe for multiple children. This leads to the transfer of infections from one child to another.
• If you are using disposable bulb syringes, these are single-use items and must be discarded after one employment. However, in the case of reusable bulb syringes, it is better to replace them after a week.

Bulb Syringes at Health Supply 770: Features and Specifications

Bulb syringes are the medical devices that are employed to clear the mucus from a baby’s nose. These are easy-to-use products that are mostly manufactured using rubber or plastic. While learning how to use a bulb syringe, it is easy to understand the steps one by one as explained above. Some of these bulb syringes are also available at Health Supply 770 and have been detailed below along with their features and purchase links:

DYND20125 Sterile Bulb Irrigation Syringe

Product Details

DYND20125 Sterile bulb irrigation syringes are the types of bulb syringes in which the bulb can be separated from its tip. These are a product of Medline and have been constructed using medical-grade plastic which is free from chemical toxins. The shape of the product is such that it ensures a firm grip with minimum risk of slippage. Moreover, the device also provides complete control of the suctioning process in addition to the expelled volume.

While learning how to use a bulb syringe, these DYND20125 sterile bulb irrigation syringes should be preferred. These are often used in children’s hospitals and clinical setups and can thus be employed in home settings. These bulb syringes are sterile and come in soft and flexible packaging with a Tyvek lid.

Another important thing to look for while learning how to use a bulb syringe is if the rubber has latex in it. These DYND20125 sterile bulb irrigation syringes are free from natural rubber latex which makes them safe as the risk of an allergic reaction is minimized. These bulb syringes are specially used for irrigating wounds.

143 Disposable Ear/Ulcer Bulb Syringe, Sterile, Green, 3 oz, CS50

US$76.66

Product Details

143 Disposable ear/ulcer bulb syringes are sterile items that have a capacity of up to 3 ounces (oz.). These come in bluish-green and are a product of Busse Hospital Disposables. The product does not have markings on it but a pronounced ribbed structure on the bulb provides a stronger grip during usage. As a result, the risk of the baby being hurt due to accidental slippage of the bulb syringe is lessened.

As for their construction material, it is important to know while learning how to use a bulb syringe that these products are made up of polyvinyl chloride or PVC which is strong yet flexible. Moreover, the products are also single-use and can be disposed of after one application. This saves the time and effort to clean the bulb syringes after every use.

Moreover, 143 disposable ear/ulcer bulb syringes have tapered ends which ease the suction process. In addition, the product can also be employed for irrigation as well as aspiration purposes. As for the bottom of the bulb syringe, it is made flat so that the device can stand on its own.

Furthermore, these 143 Disposable ear/ulcer bulb syringes have a dimension of 2.35 x 1.42 x 1.11 inches while each piece weighs approximately 1.76 ounces.

*Note: The prices mentioned in the article are taken from the Health Supply 770 website. These may vary over time.

The bulb syringes mentioned in this article, along with many other medical supplies, can be purchased from Health Supply 770, a reliable name when it comes to medical products. They have a 30-day money-back guarantee and provide your products to you in the shortest possible time. Click the link at the end of the article to check the wide range of products for babies.

Conclusion

Nasal congestion is a common issue among babies as they are quickly affected by changes in weather, seasons, temperatures, etc. This congested state makes them uncomfortable and restricts the breathing process. Therefore, children with nasal congestion often cannot sleep peacefully.

To relieve the problem, the use of bulb syringes has been recommended to parents and caregivers. This is because learning how to use a bulb syringe is easy and can be done by anyone without needing assistance from a healthcare provider.

As the use of bulb syringes is common in homes as well as in nationwide children’s hospitals, many brands manufacture these syringes. For purchasing different kinds of products once you have learned how to use a bulb syringe, reliable vendors like Health Supply 770 should be approached. They ensure the provision of quality products along with satisfactory services.