How Does a Nasal Decongestant Work?
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What Is It?
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Cold and flu sufferers have long utilized nasal decongestants in the fight against the sniffles and runny noses. They can be delivered via nasal spray, pill, or syrup and are used to treat stopped-up noses associated with allergies, colds, and flus.
How Do They Work?
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Allergens or infections can cause the blood vessels in the nose to become irritated. In an effort to remedy the irritation, your brain signals your body to send more blood to flow toward the nose. The excess blood can cause the blood vessels to enlarge, making it difficult to breathe.
Decongestants work to shrink the blood vessels to their normal size. In the case of nasal sprays, when they enter the body, the medicine enters the body and stimulates the adrenergic receptor system, which helps divert blood flow. This results in the constriction of blood vessels, allowing a person to breathe more easily.
For pills or syrups, the active ingredients can cause blood vessels other than those concentrated in the nose to constrict. For this reason, the user's blood pressure might rise or nervousness can result. Oral decongestants contain the same ingredients as diet pills: pseudoephedrine or phenylephrine, meaning they should be used with extreme care.
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Potential Side Effects
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The vessel constriction caused by oral decongestants can cause trouble sleeping, dizziness, anxiety, nausea or nervousness. Nasal decongestants also can cause irritation of the nasal lining.
Warnings
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Nasal decongestants should only be used for five to seven days because of what is known as the "rebound effect." Overusing a nasal spray can have a reverse effect and cause blood vessels to swell instead of minimize. Withdrawal of the active ingredients can also cause the nose to swell more than it did before treatment.
Because of the blood pressure-raising effects of decongestants, patients with hypertension should talk with their doctors before using decongestants. Children also should not be given decongestants without a doctor's okay.
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