Harmful effects of nasal drops abuse

Such abuse of nasal drops has led to unfortunate consequences such as patient dependence on drugs, late detection of disease, need for surgery,...

Weather changes, environmental pollution, not only children but also adults suffer from nasal diseases more and more. When suffering from rhinitis, stuffy nose, many people often go to the pharmacy to buy nasal drops or sprays to use.

However, the abuse of nasal drops has led to unfortunate consequences such as patient dependence on the drug, late detection of the disease, need for surgery, loss of the ability to sense taste...

Common nasal drops such as Ephedrine, Phinol, Naphazolin, xymetazolin, Otrivin... have the effect of constricting blood vessels in the nasal mucosa, reducing congestion, making the nose clear and easy to breathe. Initially, the effect lasts about 6 to 10 hours, after which the effect of the drug gradually decreases, patients often increase the dose or replace it with a stronger drug.

Nasal sprays are effective in cases of nasal inflammation due to colds, viral infections... nasal mucosa is congested, vasodilated, edematous and the nose is swollen. However, drugs such as Naphazolin, Otrivin, Coldi-B... are only temporary drugs to treat uncomfortable symptoms, not a cure. Therefore, the drug should only be used for 5-7 days. If the drug is used many times or for a long time, even several times a day, after many weeks of continuous use, the drug will lose its effectiveness. Worse, the drug will have the opposite effect, making the nasal congestion worse, becoming rhinitis, which is very difficult to treat. In addition, long-term use of nasal drops can also cause nasal atrophy, septal perforation...

When a child has a stuffy nose without determining the cause, parents should absolutely not arbitrarily use vasoconstrictors to drop into the child's nose. It is best to use physiological saline (0.9% NaCl) to drop and wash the nose daily. It has the effect of washing the nose, thinning the nasal discharge and helping the nasal mucosa return to normal. You can drop 4-5 drops into one nostril and then suck it out, 2-4 times a day. Be careful not to pump water too strongly into the nose to avoid it running down the throat, especially in infants because it can easily cause choking. This type is completely harmless and can be used for a long time. In addition, you can use seawater sprays that also have the effect of returning the nasal mucosa to normal; they contain many trace elements such as silver, zinc (helps fight inflammation), copper, manganese (anti-allergy). The spray should be effective in cleaning nasal discharge, increasing drainage, removing scales in the nose... It is best to take your child to an ENT specialist so that the doctor can find the cause of the disease and use the right medication for effective treatment.

According to Zing.vn