Dropping: how to eliminate addiction to nose drops

What's the first thing everyone does when they have a stuffy nose? That's right, we are in a hurry to the pharmacy and get nasal drops – the simplest and surest remedy that helps to quickly and effectively restore nasal breathing. Nose drops are sold without a prescription, a kind consultant in a pharmacy will help you choose the option that suits our wishes and pocket, and in just a few minutes you can forget about nasal congestion for a while. But what if nose drops could backfire? Addiction to cold remedies can cause a disease such as drug-induced rhinitis, or addiction to nasal drops, and getting rid of this addiction, like any other, is quite difficult. Why does it arise and how to eliminate dependence on drops in the nose – tells estet-portal.com.

Why do people get addicted to nose drops

Addiction to nasal drops can develop after 7 days of taking cold medicines. It is quite simple to explain the occurrence of this state. The mechanism of nasal congestion is as follows: during a cold, under the influence of pathogens, the blood vessels in the nasal mucosa expand, resulting in swelling of the mucous membrane and mechanical obstruction of the nasal passages – breathing becomes difficult. The use of drugs for the common cold contributes to the narrowing of blood vessels and the restoration of nasal breathing. With prolonged use of drugs for the common cold, the vessels of the nose "wean"; shrink themselves, therefore, it is possible to eliminate a runny nose and restore nasal breathing only by repeated use of cold remedies.

How do you know if you're addicted to nasal drops

The clinical picture of drug-induced rhinitis is quite characteristic: the patient complains of constant nasal congestion, which is stopped only by the use of drugs for the common cold. Nasal congestion worries the patient even at night, forcing him to wake up from difficulty breathing and re-administer medications for nasal congestion. If this is not done – nasal breathing stops completely, severe headache may occur. Some patients have been addicted to nasal drops for many years, which can lead to deterioration of the sense of smell and hypertrophy of the nasal mucosa – the disease becomes chronic.

Conservative and surgical treatment of drug-induced rhinitis

Medicated rhinitis requires treatment as early as possible. There are many methods of conservative treatment of drug-induced rhinitis, the effectiveness of which is difficult to talk about. For some patients, it may be enough to stop using the usual nose drops and endure a few days – addiction to nasal drops goes away on its own. To date, there are analogues of nasal drops that do not affect the ability of the vessel wall to contract and can be used as an alternative for stopping nasal congestion, resulting in weaning from nasal drops. But if a person has been addicted to nose drops for many years, conservative treatment is often not enough. A highly effective method of surgical treatment of drug-induced rhinitis is considered to be laser excision of the affected area of ​​the mucous membrane, as a result of which it regenerates and eliminates dependence on nasal drops. It is important to say that the very desire of the patient to be cured of drug-induced rhinitis is the first step towards recovery. Short-term use of nasal drops for nasal congestion and timely seeking help from competent specialists will help preserve your scent and get rid of dependence on nasal drops!