Long-Term Use of Nasal Spray
Nasal spray is good for temporarily clearing a stuffy nose. Some prescription types even treat specific breathing problems. However, like any medication, nasal spray can be used incorrectly or for too long. When this occurs, it loses its effectiveness, and in doing so becomes a problem rather than a solution.
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The Facts
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Using a nasal spray can relieve clogged sinuses. If the spray contains a numbing agent, the residue that trickles down the back of the throat can help relieve sore throat pain.
Most nasal sprays contain ingredients that work as an antihistamine or a decongestant. Some contain no medication whatsoever, but instead are simply deliver a saline solution to the nostrils.
Those nasal sprays that do contain drugs are the ones that can cause problems with long-term use. The drugs used in the sprays are not physically addictive; however, they can cause a psychological "need" for the medicine by producing what is known as a "rebound" effect.
Significance
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Recognizing the signs of long-term use of nasal spray, and being aware of the negative effects it can have will help one to assure that this will not happen.
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Function
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The function of a nasal spray is simple: to get medication or saline solution far enough up into the nasal passages to provide relief from congestion and clogged sinuses. This is usually accomplished by using either a bottle with a small nozzle, or a cylinder with a pump. Nasal spray bottles can be squeezed, which causes the spray to enter the nose. A person pushes down on a pump nasal spray cylinder to expel the medication.
Identification
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As a general rule, nasal spray should not be used for longer than three straight days, unless a doctor instructs a person to use it longer. When nasal spray is used for longer than it is really needed, the overuse can cause a condition known as Rhinitis Medicamentosa. This is simply a fancy way of saying that the small arteries in the nose have shrunk so much from the active ingredients in the nasal spray that they no longer function as they should. When this occurs, nasal stuffiness increases, rather than decreases. The nose feels stuffy all the time, even if it is clear, or there is no underlying reason for the sinuses or nasal passages to be clogged.
Effects
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The effects of long-term use of nasal spray are pretty much all negative. The first effect a person will usually notice is that the nose seems to continue feel stuffy, even after repeated uses of nasal spray. Further, using the nasal spray does not even provide the sensation of the nasal passages and sinuses being cleared. This is known as the "rebound" effect.
As long-term use continues, the small arteries will begin to shrink, and scarring can occur. This can cause irritation and drying of the mucous lining of the nasal passages. Not only is this an uncomfortable feeling in itself, but sores can develop, or one can suffer frequent nosebleeds.
Prevention/Solution
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The best way to prevent the effects of long term use of nasal spray is to only use nasal spray as it is needed, or only as many times as the directions say to use it, and stop using medicated nasal spray as soon as symptoms begin to diminish.
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