Khaberni - Many people turn to nasal decongestant sprays to escape sleepless nights caused by colds and nasal congestion, but pharmacists warn that this quick solution can turn into a difficult-to-escape health trap.
The accompanying drug leaflets for these sprays stress that they should not be used for more than 7 consecutive days, but pharmacist Alexander Schmitz believes caution should start even sooner, advising to stop using them after only 4 to 5 days and replace them with moisturizing sprays based on sea water.
Schmitz attributes this caution to the nasal mucosa’s rapid adaptation to the active decongesting ingredients, which work by constricting blood vessels in the nasal lining, leading over time to the body's dependence on them.
He says "At some point, the person can no longer breathe without the spray, ensuring they carry it constantly."
The pharmacist confirms that he frequently encounters cases of people who rely entirely on nasal sprays, noting that stopping their use is not easy because the basic need to breathe makes the situation more complicated.
The harm of long-term use is not limited to dependence only, as excessive use of decongestant sprays can lead to drying of the nasal mucosa, increasing the risk of bleeding and making the nose more susceptible to infections due to a reduced ability to perform its natural protective functions.
Regarding ways to eliminate this dependence, Schmitz explains that one common advice includes gradually switching to children's sprays with a lower concentration of the active ingredient, before eventually transitioning to completely drug-free sea water sprays.
However, this method does not work for everyone, especially those who have been dependent on sprays for many years. In such cases, Schmitz recommends seeking help from pharmacies, where the concentration of the spray can be reduced gradually and very precisely until the user can switch to using only sea water spray.
Schmitz concludes by affirming that sea water sprays do not carry a risk of dependence because they only moisturize the nasal mucosa, making them a safe choice for long-term use.
