No

by Amanda Ines

Created on: November 05, 2010   Last Updated: November 07, 2010

The answer to whether nasal sprays are effective in chronic nasal obstruction has to be an outright 'no' and it also has to be added that the more they are used, the worse the situation within the nasal passage ways is going to become. Nasal sprays, while being useful at the onset in decongesting one's nose during a heavy cold or sinus infection, will eventually have a rebound effect in that the more they are used, the more they will be needed. In simple terms one becomes dependent on the nasal sprays and they no longer do their job as well. 

In many cases, the underlying cause of chronic nasal obstruction has in fact been the over use of nasal sprays in the first place. 

The reason that nasal sprays cease to work well after a time is that their over-use will begin to irritate the inner lining of the nasal passage ways, and as most irritations incur swelling this swelling leaves one with a smaller nasal passage way in which to breath through and so hence a feeling of continually being congested and becoming, as it were, dependent on nasal sprays in that one can no longer survive without them. 

It is fine and acceptable to use nasal sprays for three or four days at a time to initially treat a blocked nose associated with a cold or flu, but after that the patient should be weaned off them. 

There is an alternative to nasal sprays and perfectly safe to use on a long term basis which are saline drops being basically made up of salt and water. These drops are applied to the nostrils in exactly the same way as nasal sprays but do not irritate the inner passage ways of the nostrils in any way at all. Quite the contrary, because salt water has always been used to soothe and heal. 

It is a fact that most external wounds heal much faster if there is the possibility of bathing in the sea. Your dentist will no doubt have told you at one time to gargle with salt water if you have an ulcer or a sore in your mouth. 

Just think back to times when you may have been feeling a little muzzy in the head and congested, but after having dived into the sea and feeling all that sea (salt) water rushing through your nostrils have found that it has cleared you up almost instantly! 

Learn more about this author, Amanda Ines.
Click here to send this author comments or questions.