Why nasal spray addiction occurs and whether it is possible to get rid of it

Vasoconstrictor nasal drops help ease breathing during a cold, but with prolonged use, they can cause addiction. Furthermore, the problem often arises unnoticed by the individual and can last for years. Olena Vovk, an otorhinolaryngologist and psychotherapist, spoke in more detail to a journalist from UNN about why addiction to nasal drops begins and how to get rid of it.

The doctor explains: vasoconstrictor drops themselves are not dangerous if used for a short period of time and correctly. However, after five to seven days of constant use, the nasal mucosa begins to get used to the drug, and then the person notices that congestion returns faster and faster, even when the cold has already passed.

Up to five days is fine. If it's more than five days, say seven—although I usually don't even prescribe seven, because addiction starts from the seventh day. It manifests in the fact that a person knows they used vasoconstrictor drops, for example, three times a day. And then they need more and more of these same drops, and start using them more frequently,

According to Olena Vovk, the main sign of addiction is constant nasal congestion without symptoms of a cold or viral infection. That is, when a person no longer has a fever or a runny nose, but still cannot breathe without the spray.

Addiction is revealed when we don't even have a runny nose as such. There may be some residual effects, but the person uses the drops more and more often. And when the mucosa becomes accustomed to it, there is no relief, or if there is, it lasts only for a few seconds and then it gets congested again,

The doctor says that in her practice, she often sees teenagers with this problem. Some of them have been using drops for years and literally do not leave the house without a bottle. Thus, due to constant nasal congestion, the quality of life deteriorates, headaches appear, voice nasality occurs, and there is a lack of oxygen.

Teenagers sometimes come with this problem as a real addiction. A child has been spraying drops in their nose for two years. They get upset and nervous when they don't have them, and hide them from their parents. This is a real addiction. And the worst thing is that the person doesn't know what it's like when the nose breathes,

The doctor explained that long-term use of vasoconstrictor drops can lead to hypoxia, i.e., a lack of oxygen in the body, because due to the inability to breathe normally through the nose, a person constantly breathes through the mouth.

A person is forced to breathe through the mouth because they lack oxygen through the nose. However, breathing through the nose is physiological, so if this is absent, hypoxia occurs. A person may have headaches, dry lips, coughing, and constant fatigue,

It is possible to get rid of the addiction, but it is better to do so under a doctor's supervision. Treatment is selected individually and may include special sprays, nasal irrigation, and a gradual withdrawal from vasoconstrictor drugs; however, in complex cases, patients may even require surgical intervention.

There is a treatment regimen, and it is gradual. In the first few days, I don't even cancel the vasoconstrictors. Then we gradually move away from them. The hardest are the first two or three days. And then the main medications start to work, and the swelling gradually subsides,

The doctor advises against self-medication and recommends consulting a doctor if nasal congestion does not go away after a few days of using drops.