During autumn and winter, considered the driest and coldest periods of the year, it is common to face discomforts such as colds, rhinitis and allergic attacks, which result in obstruction of the airways.
To alleviate these symptoms, many people turn to nasal decongestantswhich often do not require a prescription to be purchased. However, excessive use of these medications can lead to undesirable effects.
Professor Edwin Tamashiro, from the Ribeirão Preto School of Medicine at the University of São Paulo (USP), explains that prolonged and constant use of decongestants, for more than five days in a row, can lead to tachyphylaxis (the rapid decrease in the effect of a drug in consecutive doses).
This phenomenon makes the individual increasingly dependent on these medications, needing to apply them more frequently even after the rhinitis, flu or cold crisis has ended.
Problems of overuse of decongestants
In addition to the increased frequency of use, which can also injure the external nostrils, excessive dosage can lead to dependence on the medication. This is quite worrying, as the abusive use of nasal decongestants (which normally affects young people between the ages of 16 and 28) can also have harmful effects on the cardiovascular system.
Patients with a history of heart disease, such as hypertension, arrhythmia or heart attack, should be very cautious when using these medications, as there are reports of cases of severe hypertension, acute myocardial infarction and even stroke (CVA) resulting from their excessive and prolonged use.
Serum is an alternative
Fortunately, there are much safer alternatives for dealing with nasal obstruction and irritation. In addition to proper medical monitoring, which aims to treat both the symptoms and the underlying disease (which varies from case to case), nasal lavage with saline solution is a recommended option even for babies.
Unlike nasal decongestants, saline solution cleans impurities, moisturizes the nose and eliminates mucus, providing relief in a gentler and more effective way.
