When the nose is congested, so many people have immediate relief from nasal sprays. However, spraying vasoconstrictive liquids in nasal cavities is not always an effective remedy. They are often misused. A type of spray that should instead be used more often is the one for nasal washing, a practice that would be beneficial if transformed into a routine, as Dr. Luca Malvezzi explains, otorhinolaryngologist and specialist in cervical facial surgery at Humanitas.
No to vasoconstrictors for long periods
Nasal obstruction is a symptom common to many diseases and “it should never be underestimated. Overall – the expert indicates – all rhino-sinus inflammatory diseases, including nasal polyposis, which is considered the model of chronic inflammation, are responsible for nasal respiratory obstruction and deserve a multidisciplinary framing: otorhinolaryngology, allergology, pulmonology, immunology. When the obstruction is monolateral, the otorhinolaryngology specialist consultation is even more appropriate”.
To relieve nose burns you can use vasoconstrictive sprays, but with some warnings: “No problem using a nasal vasoconstrictor for a few days to accelerate healing from a common cold or viral rhinosinusitis. Very frequently, however, the vasoconstrictor is used for a prolonged period of time to counteract nasal respiratory obstruction, without even discovering what caused it. Prolonged use is harmful to the body, because it may promote the onset of hypertension. It is harmful to the nasal environment, causing tissue ischemia and progressively worsening the physiological functioning of the nose.
Moreover – Dr. Malvezzi points out – its use is almost useless. In fact, when nasal respiratory obstruction is sustained by nasal septum deflection, only a fast and now non-traumatic, surgical intervention is able to improve nasal respiratory performance. When respiratory obstruction is supported by hypertrophy of lower turbinates, specialized assessment of otorhinolaryngology, including nasal cytology, and a collegial evaluation of allergic-respiratory allergy, is essential for a correct understanding of the problem, not only at nasal level, but also more generally on the whole respiratory branch”.
In these cases, the therapy is not based on the use of the vasoconstrictor spray, but rather on cortisone sprays and antihistamine sprays. Although the therapeutic efficacy in the short term is less “explosive” than the vasoconstrictor, the local steroid is capable not only of decongesting the nasal mucosa, improving breathing, but also of mucrocyclical clearance, i.e. the process of self-cleaning the nose and paranasal sinuses. Except in special cases such as glaucoma, for example, the local steroid has no systemic side effects, as it can be used safely and effectively.
Wash the nose
In addition to the toothbrush, a nasal spray or similar instrument should be used every day to wash the nose: “The cleansing of nasal cavities is a good hygienic measure, which should be practiced daily in the same way as dental hygiene. The saline solution itself without or accompanied by excipients can be obtained in spray formulation or, alternatively. It is sufficient to dispense it with a syringe for proper hygiene. There is no restriction on the use of saline spray solution.
Finally, another type of spray that can be used is the one containing hyaluronic acid, “also useful for promoting mucosal re-epithelization after nasal or paranasal sinus surgery or in case of nasal bleeding tendency. Furthermore, in this case there is no limitation to the use of products containing hyaluronic acid delivered in the nasal cavities by vaporization”, concludes Dr. Malvezzi.
