Feeding Tubes: Types, Placement, What to Know

Written By

Olive Elder Care

Last Updated on: 21 Jun 2025

A feeding tube is used for patients having difficulty eating or swallowing due to medical conditions. When a person suffers from an illness, injury, or age-related difficulties that make eating from the mouth difficult, feeding tubes assist them in providing the body with essential nutrition and hydration. 

We will take a deep dive into feeding tubes and answer related questions to understand feeding tube uses, types, maintenance, challenges, and more.

What Is a Feeding Tube?

A feeding tube or a food pipe for patients is a medical device used as an aid for nutrition. It works as an assistive measure to supply nutrition, fluids, and medications directly into the digestive system. Making a different route to the digestive system bypasses the mouth and throat. The tool ensures an unobstructed delivery of nutrients without the risk of choking. A feeding tube is common with patients suffering from conditions such as dysphagia, neurological disorders, severe malnutrition, or digestive issues.

Feeding Tube Uses

Feeding tubes have several uses for various medical conditions, including:

• Neurological disorders.
• Cancer in the throat or oesophagus.
• Illnesses like cystic fibrosis or Crohn’s disease.
• Severe malnutrition.
• Difficulty in absorbing nutrients.
• When oral food intake is limited or temporarily restricted due to post-surgery recovery.

Types of Feeding Tubes

Feeding tubes are of several types for different medical conditions and for various durations. Here is a list of the types:

1. Nasogastric (NG) Tube

Used for short-term feeding purposes(less than a month), it is inserted through the nose and reaches the stomach. The NG feeding tube is used for post-surgery care patients or anyone with temporary swelling difficulties.

2. Orogastric (OG) Tube

An OG tube is similar to an NG tube but is inserted through the mouth. It is used on patients who cannot take a tube through the nose. Kids are often given OG tubes when needed.

3. Gastrostomy Tube (G-Tube)

G-Tube is for critical patients and is thus inserted surgically into the body. The pipe creates an opening in the abdomen, which takes the food and delivers it directly into the stomach. Being an invasive procedure, it is administered only for long-term feeding needs. Also, due to its nature, only blended food or liquid can be fed through a Gastrostomy Tube.

4. Percutaneous Endoscopic Gastrostomy (PEG) Tube

Popularly known as the PEG tube, it is a type of G-Tube but is inserted using endoscopy. Comparatively less invasive than a G-Tube, a PEG tube is ideally used for patients needing extended tube feeding due to health conditions.

5. Jejunostomy Tube (J-Tube)

J-Tube is the most advanced form of feeding tube. Requires to be surgically inserted, a J-Tube is placed into the small intestine, which is also known as the jejunum, instead of the stomach which we saw happens in G-Tube and PEG Tube. The system is the same, where one end of the pipe is outside for feeding passing through the abdomen and the other is in the small intestine. It is administered to patients with severe gastric issues due to a medical condition. It is also used for post-surgical digestive complications.

Types of PEG Tubes

PEG Tubes, as we understood above, are used for long-term assistive feeding. It comes in different types to suit different purposes. The following are the types: 

• Standard PEG Tubes - These are simple tubes inserted surgically through the stomach wall.
• Low-Profile PEG Tubes - These are discreet and comfortable feeding tubes for active patients.
• Balloon PEG Tubes - These feeding tubes have an inflatable balloon to hold the tube in place inside the stomach.

The ideal type of PEG tube is recommended by the doctor based on the complication and needs of the patient. 

Life with a Feeding Tube

Life with a feeding tube can be full of challenges due to many reasons. While using, caring for, and maintaining the feeding tubes are one part of it, dealing with the health condition behind it simultaneously can be depressing. Medical support, nursing from experienced caregivers, and proper care are necessary for adapting to the new lifestyle and finding happiness again. Guidance and support become key in this stage of recovery.

Food Pipe For Patients - Challenges 

Feeding tubes bring with them a lot of challenges for a patient. Here is how:

1. Irritation - Patients experience soreness, bloating, or irritation around the tube.
2. Infection - If proper hygiene is not maintained, the food pipe can easily get infected, causing more complications in the body.
3. Blocks - Improper handling of the food pipe may lead to blockages or accidents. Food and medication may get stuck, and the pipe may fall out or be displaced.
4. Nutrition Fulfillment - Understanding the right amount of nutrients when fed through the tube can be challenging.
5. Indigestion - Formula intolerance may cause nausea, diarrhoea, or constipation.
6. Social Stigma - A feeding tube is associated with being a patient and can make some people uncomfortable. It leads to self-consciousness, and the patients may want to isolate.
7. Dependency on People - Even though some patients can use the feeding tube independently, it's very rare. Since feeding tubes are generally used on critical patients fro the long term, they require assistance from caregivers and medical support for proper handling and maintenance.
8. Fear of Permanence - Patients worry if surgically inserted feeding tubes are permanent and if they will ever eat through the mouth again. 

Feeding Tube Maintenance

Here are some tips to prevent infections and proper maintenance:

• Clean the tube area daily with warm water and mild soap.
• Flush the tube with water before and after feeding.
• Check for leaks or displacement.
• Feed prescribed liquid nutrition only.
• Immediately report any abnormality or discomfort to the doctor/caregiver.

How Does Olive Elder Care Provide Expert Care & Medical Support To Feeding Tube Patients?

At Olive Eldercare, we have the expertise in handling patients with feeding tubes. We understand their challenges and concerns well and thus treat and support them with compassion and kindness along with the healthcare expertise they need. Here is how we do it:

• Personalised nutrition plans
• Professional handling
• Regular maintenance
• Regular medical checkups
• Assisted living services to ensure hygiene and comfort

We also provide geriatric counselling, guidance on feeding tubes, and home care services to meet the different needs of patients. Olive Elder Care is always here to help with any kind of care and medical support. Contact us today to learn more about our specialised services.

Author

Olive Elder Care is dedicated to providing compassionate and comprehensive support for the elderly, ensuring their physical, emotional, and social well-being. With a team of experienced caregivers and personalized care plans, Olive Elder Care fosters a safe and nurturing environment for seniors to thrive.