I constantly put drops in my nose, what should I do? What are the dangers of dependence on long-term use of vasoconstrictors? I can’t live without nasal drops: what to do

Many people do not think at all that medications have side effects, and they need to be used wisely and strictly according to the instructions, after first making sure that they are necessary. Quite often this situation occurs with drops or sprays for instillation into the nose, which have a vasoconstrictor effect.

As soon as a person begins to feel nasal congestion, discharge appears, and the sense of smell is impaired, he buys nasal medications at the pharmacy and, without carefully reading the instructions, uses them. And he does it too often or more due date, without consulting a doctor, but relying only on your subjective feelings. As nasal congestion appears, the mucous membrane receives a new portion vasoconstrictor drops.

Gradually, the intervals between instillations become shorter, more drops are required, and treatment course the patient voluntarily extends it to several months. The patient, being confident in the correctness of his actions, causes considerable damage to his health.

What is the danger of vasoconstrictor nasal drops?

Before you start using any remedies for the common cold, you need to understand the form of the disease. By origin, rhinitis can be viral-bacterial (infectious), allergic, vasomotor (neurogenic), hormonal (runny nose during pregnancy). According to the course - acute or chronic, according to the reaction of the nasal mucosa - hypertrophic or hypotrophic.

Understand each form of the disease and assign adequate treatment Only a doctor can. But in life, when you or your child have a runny nose man walking to the pharmacy, where he is always advised to purchase vasoconstrictor sprays or nasal drops (vasoconstrictors). Considering the pathogenesis and causes of the forms of the disease, the use of these drugs is justified for almost all types of rhinitis, but differs in significance and dosage.

Thus, in the treatment of infectious rhinitis, vasoconstrictor drops play a leading role, reducing swelling of the mucous membrane and the formation of mucopurulent secretion. But with a runny nose of an allergic nature, antihistamines or hormonal agents, and the use of vasoconstrictor drops performs an auxiliary function. Therefore, when various forms diseases, they differ in the required single dose and in the duration of the treatment course.

Without understanding these important points, the patient begins to use nasal drops as soon as congestion appears. After all positive effect occurs almost immediately: free nasal breathing and a full sense of smell.

But the effect of the remedies quickly ceases, and the person resorts to them again. Gradually, he can no longer do without medications, unable to get out of the habit of them, carries them with him everywhere and thinks that he is being treated correctly and effectively.

This is the insidiousness of nasal vasoconstrictor medications. They form an addiction, which, of course, is not a drug addiction, but requires very close attention and considerable effort to “get off” it.

Unjustified use of drops can lead to such a serious disease as drug-induced rhinitis, which requires long-term therapy. And the third undesirable effect of vasoconstrictors - despite their local application, they can provide systemic impact on the body.

Getting used to vasoconstrictor drops forms gradually and almost imperceptibly. The capillaries of the nasal mucosa, having received the dose, narrow as if by “external” order. Their tone increases, the release of blood plasma into intercellular space epithelium, the production of mucous secretion decreases.

In this case, the normal neuro-reflex regulation of vascular tone is disrupted, it practically stops working. The capillaries get used to external regulation through vasoconstrictors and wait for a new dose. Until it arrives, their narrowing and swelling do not decrease.

Having enjoyed the excellent effect of instilling drugs, a person after a while again feels congestion, which forces him to increase the dose and shorten the intervals between doses in the hope of persistent positive result. Often the patient does not even realize that the addiction has already formed and cannot “get off it” on his own. He requires competent advice and medical assistance.

With the constant flow of vasoconstrictors into the nasal cavity, the capillary network is in a forced spasm state. As a result, all tissues do not receive oxygen and nutrition, their metabolism is disrupted, and dystrophic changes. The cells of the mucous membrane gradually die, it becomes thin, dry, vulnerable and hypotrophic.

Gradually, a condition called drug-induced rhinitis develops. So, trying to cure the usual cold runny nose, the patient receives more serious pathology, which needs to be treated long and hard.

There is also danger systemic action nasal vasoconstrictor drops. This can happen if they overdose, especially if the person has some accompanying illnesses. Entering the bloodstream, vasoconstrictors have a spasmodic effect on the blood vessels of the whole body.

As a result, it rises arterial pressure, palpitations, shortness of breath, headaches, nausea and sleep disturbances appear. Overdose is very dangerous childhood when vasoconstrictors may require emergency hospitalization of the baby in the toxicology department of the hospital.

How to wean yourself off nasal vasoconstrictors

Before you begin to solve a problem, you must first recognize its existence. Only when the patient understands that he has already developed an addiction to vasoconstrictors, that he is already in full swing with hypotrophy of the nasal mucosa with the development of medicinal rhinitis, only then will he have the strength to fight this problem. And the doctor will help him with this.

Contact for medical assistance necessary, because only a specialist can competently deal with each problematic situation. To carry out an examination, clarify all complaints, perform an examination and confirm the presence of addiction or drug-induced runny nose is the doctor’s task. He will also definitely appoint necessary treatment and will exercise control over it.

But the first step must be taken by the patient himself. To wean yourself off vasoconstrictor drops, you need to refuse them outright. This is the very first stage of treatment and the most difficult. After all, the hand will constantly reach for the desired bottle, all thoughts will be only about it, the nasal mucosa will cry out for help, and the capillaries will ask for the long-awaited dose in unison.

As practice shows, to make it easier to control yourself, you need to say a decisive “no” to vasoconstrictor drops in the morning and load yourself up urgent work. It is important not to forget to throw the bottle of medicine into the trash chute and avoid the pharmacy.

It will be very difficult for the first few days, then neuro-reflex regulation will gradually begin to restore, and the capillaries will “remember” that they can work independently. The functionality of the mucous membrane will begin to restore, its swelling will decrease and disappear, and the production of mucous secretion will return to normal volumes.

To help the body cope with addiction, overcome the psychological barrier, and at the same time normalize the condition of the mucous membrane, you can take some curative measures. And first of all, not just cancel the vasoconstrictor drops, but replace them with other means, mainly plant origin(sometimes the first replacement is with vasoconstrictors in a very reduced dosage).

It has been proven that instilling freshly squeezed juice of carrots, red beets, aloe, onions(diluted 1:1 with water) with the addition of 1 drop of heated honey not only has a substitution effect. These products additionally disinfect the mucous membrane in the most gentle way and help the epithelial layer to regenerate faster.

Herbal decoctions work similarly. The well-known calendula, sage, and chamomile provide invaluable assistance in the fight against addiction and drug-induced rhinitis.

Measures to rinse the nose and moisturize the mucous membrane are very helpful. You can use it like pharmaceutical products, and prepare the solution yourself. One teaspoon of regular table or sea salt is dissolved in 1 liter of water. This solution can be instilled into the nasal passages, 3-4 drops, and rinsing can also be done, up to 6 times a day.

Physiotherapy will help restore the functionality of the mucous membrane. The doctor will advise which methods from the huge arsenal of physiotherapy can be used in case of drug-induced runny nose and addiction to vasoconstrictors. Good effect has UHF, phonophoresis, electrophoresis, acupuncture. At home, it is possible to warm the nose using bags of hot salt or boiled potatoes and eggs.

IN severe cases when the changes that have occurred in the mucous membrane are so great that they cannot be conservative treatment, the patient is recommended to undergo surgery. In each specific situation, the most the best way(laser, conchotomy, vasotomy, cryotherapy, turbinoplasty).

To avoid bringing yourself to the point of need long-term treatment or surgical intervention, you must remember the dangers of using vasoconstrictor drops. Strict adherence to dosages will help avoid serious consequences.

Nasal congestion is certainly not a pleasant sensation, and it significantly reduces the patient’s quality of life. At the same time, the desire to get rid of this condition forces you to constantly use various means, helping to overcome the symptom.

Many people think that “I constantly drip drugs and nothing happens,” but this is not so. Usage this method can be dangerous, because over time you can develop a dependence on nasal drops, which is very difficult to cure.

In addition to addiction, other complications may occur, such as vasospasm. It is always important to remember that prolonged and uncontrolled use of these funds is not beneficial and can cause a number of other problems. A similar effect occurs most often when using vasoconstrictor drops in the nose.

Features of the use of addictive nasal drops

Despite the assurances of manufacturers, there are no vasoconstrictor drugs that could not cause addiction to nasal drops.

These products are not dangerous only if they are used periodically and strictly in accordance with the instructions.

Moreover, if you use them for a week and then stop abruptly, swelling of the mucous membrane may appear. In addition, as experts recommend, you should not use the same product every time to relieve congestion.

Indications for the use of vasoconstrictor drops

Compliance with the instructions when using drops is mandatory. In no case should you exceed the indicated dosage and use them very often. Even those products that have a short-term effect should not be used for more than 4 days, because the body can quickly get used to it.

Vasoconstrictor drops are used if:

  • vasomotor or allergic rhinitis;
  • sinusitis and other pathologies affecting the sinuses;
  • runny nose.

Drops act on adrenaline receptors, which are located on the mucous membrane. Thus, vasoconstriction occurs, accordingly, nasal congestion decreases and previous breathing is restored. But, despite the significant relief, even one extra day of using drops can become addictive.

In addition, the use of drops has a number of side effects. Among them are:

  • development of an allergic reaction to the drug;
  • dryness and irritation of the mucous membrane;
  • the heartbeat rhythm is disturbed;
  • headaches may occur;
  • blood pressure rises.

Contraindications to the use of vasoconstrictor drops

Under some circumstances you should not use drops:


If possible, it is best to replace regular drops with sprays. This achieves desired effect without exceeding the dosage. Sprays can be used longer than drops, but no more than 10 days, but it is best to instill no more than 5. If addiction does develop, then only a specialist will help you get rid of it.

Composition of vasoconstrictor drops and their types

They differ depending on the principle of action of the decogestant and its type:

All drugs that belong to the same group contain a specific active substance with a difference in its concentration. That is why similar drops can vary greatly in effect.

Development of addiction and methods for eliminating it

First of all, among the reasons for the development of addiction is non-compliance with instructions for use. The mistake of many is precisely that they do not bother themselves to read the annotation. This carelessness arises from the belief that a runny nose is not a serious illness.

People often think that by taking medication they can stop taking it at any time, but if they develop an addiction to nasal drops, not everyone knows how to get rid of it. However, if you refuse the medicine, things get worse, and such a trivial pathology, as it seems at first glance, can lead to a rather serious disease, which will subsequently have to be treated for a long time.

How does addiction manifest itself?

In order to recognize the symptoms of addiction to drops, you need to be attentive to your condition and pay attention to even the slightest deviations. At the first stage of addiction, the vessels lose their properties, that is, they stop expanding and contracting without drugs, so-called withdrawal appears.

Thus, nasal congestion only goes away when drops are taken continuously. At the same time, the nose cannot breathe without the medicine, and in order to achieve the desired result, the person increases the dose. In principle, the effect of the drops can be compared to the effect of drugs to which a person is highly dependent.

In addition, other symptoms may appear during addiction:

  • burning and itching sensation in the nose;
  • partial or total loss smell perception;
  • there is a constant feeling of congestion;
  • it becomes simply impossible to breathe through the nose;
  • transparent mucous discharge is observed.

With such manifestations, it is necessary to urgently begin treatment and, even more so, stop taking the medications that contributed to this. You shouldn’t think that if I don’t drip the medicine, then everything will quickly return to normal; it’s better to take the help of a specialist.

Treating addiction at home

What to do to get rid of addiction to nasal drops yourself at home? It is necessary to completely stop dripping the drugs that caused this reaction.

If not advanced stage and provided there is minor discomfort, the mucous membrane can recover and free breathing will return.

Recovery time may vary depending on each case. In addition, this is influenced by the degree of development of addiction. Thus, on average, the recovery period can range from approximately one week to a month. But there are times when it is simply impossible to get rid of a medicine that negatively affects the condition and stop putting drops into your nose. To do this, you will need to carry out other activities:


Enough effective means, both for the runny nose itself and for getting rid of addiction, is saline solution.

Rinsing your nose 3 to 5 times a day can lead to normal condition mucous membrane In addition, pharmacies have other analogues of this drug, as well as drugs based on sea ​​water(Aqua-Maris, Aqualor).

Medical intervention to eliminate the addictive effect

In advanced cases, it is simply not possible to get rid of the addictive effect at home. If you use adrenergic agonists for a very long time, the development of mucosal atrophy will begin. Everyone should know how to prevent addiction to nasal drops and how to get rid of it. For this purpose, physiotherapeutic and surgical-surgical measures can be carried out.

In order to cure addiction to nasal drops, the following physiotherapeutic procedures are used:

  • laser therapy;
  • mineral therapy;
  • capillary therapy.

At a more advanced stage, it may be necessary to promptly surgical intervention, which can be represented:

  • cryotherapy;
  • laser therapy;
  • septoplasty;
  • conchotomy;
  • turbinoplasty.

Pick up desired method only a doctor can, because in every case it is necessary individual approach. When taking drops for a runny nose, it is worth remembering that this can only be done according to the instructions or on the recommendation of a specialist, in no case increasing the dosage or time of use of the drugs on your own, because curing dependence on drops is sometimes much more difficult than the runny nose itself.

Getting used to nose drops is not uncommon today, because no one wants to put up with a runny nose.

But unfortunately, few people strictly adhere to the duration and frequency of use recommended by the manufacturers and use the selected drug for more than 3–7 days (determined by the type of active substance included in the specific medication). Video on the topic: consultation with a doctor

Causes of addiction and drip addiction

Such neglect of the rules for taking vasoconstrictors leads to addiction to them or, even worse, to drug-induced rhinitis.

The problem is typical for adults and is rarely diagnosed in a child, since parents usually strictly control the treatment of children.

The mechanism for this is quite simple. Normally, the tone of the vessels passing through the nasal mucosa is regulated independently. But with the development of inflammation, blood plasma sweats into the intercellular space, which leads to swelling of the mucous membrane, that is

Vasoconstrictor drops contain special substances that causing narrowing blood lines, eliminating swelling and, consequently, normalizing nasal breathing.

At the same time, with prolonged use, the natural mechanisms for controlling vascular tone are switched off, so without new doses of the drug they return to an expanded state.

This leads to a desire to instill the medicine again. In this way, a habit is formed, and it becomes difficult to jump off the drops.

Nasal drop addiction: symptoms and signs

Suspecting addiction to vasoconstrictors is sometimes difficult.

After all, initially a person may not even notice that he is exceeding the recommended dosage and frequency of use.

Automatically, the patient introduces 1-3 drops more than prescribed or does this, involuntarily shortening the intervals between doses.

Thus, the main signs of developing dependence on nasal spray are:

  • the single dose prescribed in the annotation does not relieve congestion;
  • the medicine is used for much longer than a week;
  • a person always has a bottle of medication with him, often a bottle at his workplace, at home, in his bag, etc.;
  • severe anxiety if you don’t have the drug with you (forgot to buy it or left it at home);
  • automatic instillation at the slightest manifestation of difficulty breathing.

Many people are able to sit on nasal medications for years and even decades and not seek qualified medical help.

Although any independent attempts to get off nasal drops practically do not yield results. The consequences of such negligence can be disastrous.
Source: website In especially advanced cases, drug-induced rhinitis manifests itself:

  • swelling and
  • the presence of local hemorrhages;
  • regular headaches;
  • the presence of a feeling of tingling and itching in the nasal cavity;
  • increased lacrimation and sneezing;
  • partial (hyposmia) or complete (anosmia) loss of smell.

How to wean yourself off vasoconstrictor nasal drops at home?

You can get rid of naphthyzine addiction at home only by initial stages its development. Moreover, this is achieved only through volitional efforts.


There are 3 main ways to jump off vasoconstrictors:

A sharp refusal. Requires great self-control and willpower, so it is most effective in mild cases. Then the patient only needs to endure a few days to cure the addiction to nasal drops.

But for full recovery normal functioning of the nose usually takes 10–15 days, and improvements are noticeable after just a few days.

Gradual withdrawal. The method is based on deliberately increasing the intervals between administration of the drug and reducing the dosage. The most common practice is to switch to medications intended for children or dilute the usual drug with saline solution.

In especially difficult moments, for example, at night, it is sometimes possible to administer the drug outside the planned time. This will make breathing easier and at the same time allow the mucous membrane of the second nasal passage to recover.

Replacing the drug. It is planned to switch to a medication with a completely different active substance. For example, if you are dependent on xylometazoline, you can choose naphazoline-based products and soon completely abandon it.

But at the same time you should carry out inhalations, take homeopathic medicines etc. This therapy has many nuances, so it should be carried out under the supervision of an otolaryngologist.

The method should be chosen based on personal qualities specific patient. Moreover, he must independently come to the conclusion that he needs to look for effective way How to get rid of addiction to nasal drops.

However, regardless of the choice of control method, the following rules must be observed:

  • regularly ventilate living and working areas;
  • enjoy saline solutions to moisturize the mucous membrane;
  • install a household humidifier and aroma lamp at home;
  • walk daily for at least 2–3 hours;
  • enrich your diet fresh fruit and vegetables;
  • try to sleep with your head and shoulders elevated, but only if there are no spinal diseases.

Folk remedies for treating “naphthyzine addiction”

It is impossible to remove dependence on Tizin or any other vasoconstrictor drug using only traditional methods.

They can only somewhat alleviate the patient’s condition and thereby soften the transition from daily use of drops to normal life.
  1. From an aloe leaf that is older than 3–5 years, squeeze the juice and dilute it twice big amount water. The resulting composition is instilled 3-4 times a day, 4-5 drops.
  2. Liquid natural honey mixed with an equal volume of water and administered 4-5 drops into the nose every 6-8 hours.

Treatment of addiction to nasal drops in a medical facility

If you are unable to wean yourself off the drops within 2–4 weeks, you should immediately contact an ENT specialist so as not to worsen the situation. Depending on the severity of the situation, the doctor may prescribe:

Local corticosteroids. These are drugs that have the opposite vasoconstrictor effect. These include Nasonex, Avamys, Flixonase, Beconase, etc. At the same time, the usual vasoconstrictors are usually continued for a while, but only strictly following the regimen individually drawn up by the doctor. Physiotherapeutic procedures. Used to improve blood circulation in the affected area of ​​the mucous membrane. Most often, patients are prescribed electrophoresis, although many consider acupuncture to be an effective remedy against drug-induced rhinitis. Surgery (vasotomy). Surgical intervention is last resort on the way to free breathing. Depending on the situation, it can be carried out with a scalpel and involve the removal of part of the atrophied mucous membrane or using minimally invasive methods.
Which include:

  1. laser vaporization
  2. radiocoagulation
  3. vacuum resection
  4. ultrasonic disintegration

The latter methods are preferable, since the recovery period and its severity are much less than with traditional surgery.

Sometimes during the manipulation, septoplasty is performed simultaneously, that is, the nasal septum is straightened.

How to restore the mucous membrane after surgery?

The human body is designed in an amazing way, because it has the ability to self-heal. Therefore, after the operation, one week or another is sufficient. rinse nasal cavity saline solutions and remove dried crusts, after softening them with oil, for example, sea buckthorn or peach pits.

But after some time, as in people who did not require surgical intervention to eliminate drug-induced rhinitis, the question arises of how to restore the mucous membrane. For this purpose, funds can be used for oil based, in particular:

  • Pinosol;
  • Edas-131 Rinitol;
  • Thuja-GF;
  • Malavit-Rino;
  • Delufen;
  • Euphorbium compositum.

At the same time, we must not forget about natural pure oils. Thus, the sea buckthorn and peach kernels mentioned above will not only help postoperative wounds heal faster, but also stimulate the process of restoration of the mucous membrane.

What to do if your nose is used to drops during pregnancy

Pregnant women are not recommended to use vasoconstrictors. However, clogged nose for them, or rather for the fetus, it represents serious danger. After all, this leads to a deficiency of oxygen in the blood and the development of hypoxia in the child, which is fraught with developmental disorders.

Therefore, during pregnancy the situation is ambiguous and requires mandatory intervention from a specialist.


If the addiction has just appeared, most likely, the otolaryngologist will advise getting rid of it through gradual or abrupt refusal from drops.

In more severe cases, it is possible that a decision will be made to continue taking the drug until delivery, but to use it or a similar one in a pediatric dosage. This is necessary to relieve congestion and ensure proper breathing for both mother and fetus.

Non-addictive nasal drops for congestion: list

Absolutely all vasoconstrictor drugs that directly relieve congestion are addictive.

However, there are good means, helping the body quickly cope with infection by activating local immunity, or facilitating nasal breathing without affecting vascular tone. This:

  1. Spray with interferon(Nazoferon, Ergoferon, Ingaron, Derinat, Grippferon) – helps strengthen local immunity and thereby leads to increased resistance to numerous viruses that cause ARVI.
  2. Pinosol – herbal remedy based on several essential oils, helping to remove congestion. But it can only be used if there is no allergy to any of the components.
  3. (saline solution, Aquamaris, Marimer, Humer, Physiomer, No-sol, Dolphin, etc.). They help clear the nasal passages of dry crusts, liquefy thick snot, moisturize the mucous membranes and thereby make breathing easier.

Thus, there are ways to alleviate the condition of a runny nose without getting used to vasoconstrictors. But their complete safety is compensated by the lower severity of the effect produced, so many neglect them and give preference to popular vasoconstrictor drops, risking becoming their hostage.

Inappropriate use of vasoconstrictor drops can lead to their addiction. As a result, a disease such as drug-induced rhinitis develops.

Uncontrolled and prolonged use in the nose causes allergic reaction mucous membrane of the nasal passages. After using the drops, the person feels relief and can breathe normally. However, the symptoms subside for a short period of time, and the patient again resorts to vasoconstrictor drops. Because of this, addiction occurs.

With frequent nasal instillation, vascular tone decreases and chronic inflammation develops. All nasal medications contain ephedrine. This is a substance that constricts blood vessels, reducing their blood flow.

At long-term use vasoconstrictor drugs develop, as a result of which the nasal vessels dilate. Over time, their tone decreases and addiction to the drugs occurs.

Signs of addiction to drops

Free breathing is impossible without the use of vasoconstrictor drops.Upon examination, the doctor can detect hyperemia of the nasal passages, their enlargement and areas with hemorrhages.

The difference between drug-induced rhinitis and other forms of the disease is protracted current and complete dependence on the vasoconstrictor.

The following symptoms indicate dependence on nasal drops:

  • Headache
  • Swelling of the nasal passages
  • Constant
  • Dry mucous membranes
  • Itching and tingling in the nose
  • Tearing
  • Sneezing

These alarming symptoms indicate that the patient was overzealous with the use of vasoconstrictor drops. It is necessary to consult a doctor to prescribe adequately.

In order to get rid of nasal dependence, it is recommended to replace it with sodium chloride solution. The solution should be used to rinse the nasal cavity to facilitate breathing. To moisturize the nasal mucosa you can use isotonic solutions for washing: , Marimer et al.

It is also necessary to perform following procedures to get rid of addiction:

  • Increase the time between instillations
  • To reduce the concentration, dilute the drug with boiled water.
  • Reduce dosage to 3 times a day

For relief, instill diluted in water. vasoconstrictor no more than 4 times a day, and at night it is advisable to use drops only 1 time. It is necessary to reduce the dosage of the drug daily.If sniffles appear, do not immediately resort to nasal drops. There are others alternative ways eliminate runny nose.

Useful video - How to get rid of dependence on vasoconstrictor drops.

Traditional medicine offers many recipes that help get rid of addiction to nasal drops:

  1. The nose can be instilled with onion juice or honey solution. It is recommended to use a medicinal mixture instead of drops: honey, sea buckthorn oil, juice. Mix all ingredients in equal amount and instill 2-3 drops into the nose 3 times a day. The duration of treatment is 14 days.
  2. It is useful to instill a decoction of oak bark into the nose for drug-induced rhinitis. It can be purchased at a pharmacy, brewed according to the instructions and used as directed.
  3. It is recommended to rinse the nasal mucosa with infusion daily. medicinal herbs. You can perform the procedure using calendula or chamomile. You need to take 2 tablespoons of any plant and pour 0.5 liters of boiling water. The infusion should brew for an hour, and then strain it.
  4. The effect is also observed from inhalations using oil tea tree. Cotton pads with boromenthol ointment also help. They should be soaked and inserted into both nostrils for half an hour. It is recommended to carry out the procedure within 10 days.

Getting rid of addiction to vasoconstrictor drops is long-term. If you follow all the doctor’s recommendations and also use it for treatment traditional methods, then you can get rid of medicinal rhinitis forever.

Read also:

  • Instructions for the drug Aqua Maris Strong: purpose...

If you have become addicted to nasal drops, how to get rid of such a scourge? Is it even possible to free yourself from such addiction and breathe freely without constant instillation?

Why does addiction form?

Getting used to nasal drops is a very common phenomenon these days. It even received a special name - drug-induced rhinitis.

Like any addiction, rhinitis medicamentosa occurs from improper use medicines. A runny nose is a very uncomfortable condition.

Nasal congestion entails:

  • difficulties with colloquial speech;
  • breathing problems;
  • decrease in external attractiveness;
  • slow reaction;
  • headache;
  • lacrimation.

In an effort to get rid of all these troubles as quickly as possible, a person begins to put drops into his nose often and a lot.

As a result, under the influence of drugs, the walls of blood vessels are constantly in a narrowed state. In this case, the nasal mucosa, not receiving proper nutrition with blood, begins to die. This does not make the runny nose disappear; it intensifies, always existing, regardless of the state of health.

Is there a way out of the situation?

The life of a person with medicinal rhinitis turns into sheer agony. The most important thing is to never forget to take drops with you to work, school, a restaurant, a party, etc.


Except persistent runny nose there is a fear of forgetting or losing nasal drops. So, physiological dependence turns into psychological.

Such patients complain to their doctors: I’m constantly dripping, but it’s not getting any easier. Relief occurs in no more than an hour, or even less.

A man, driven to despair by many years of dependence on drops, begins to look for a way out.

How to wean yourself off nasal drops? And most importantly, is it even possible to live without a runny nose?

If you are worried about this situation and asking yourself the question “what to do?”, this means that you are starting your path to recovery. This path is similar to quitting any other addiction. It begins with a great desire to live differently, with the mobilization of willpower.

If you really have an addiction to nasal drops, you will, of course, find out from your doctor how to get rid of it. But first of all you will need to go through full examination. This is to ensure that you do not have any serious illnesses, because of which you constantly use vasoconstrictor drugs.

As a rule, the algorithm of preliminary actions is as follows:

  • visit an otolaryngologist;
  • check the condition of the mucous membrane;
  • go to an allergist;
  • if necessary, start taking antihistamines.


As a rule, before you start getting rid of addiction, you need to conduct more than just an examination. Usually the doctor prescribes treatment aimed at getting rid of inflammatory processes, localized in the nose, throat, bronchi, ears and even, possibly, in the lungs.

When is self-medication needed?

If you are in a situation called “I’m used to it, I’m dripping,” or rather, I’m dripping because I’m used to it, then you need to get rid of the addiction on your own. It's about, first of all, about willpower, which will become the basis of your healing. To do this you need to proceed as follows.

Action
Comments
You need to start healing yourself by changing medications for the common cold. If you used only one medicine for a long time, then your body was able to get used to it.
Nowadays they produce a lot of remedies for the common cold. Start purchasing a variety of different ones. As soon as the feeling called “I drip - it doesn’t help” returns, use another one.
The main thing in the fight against addiction is to strictly apply the dosage. Most drugs can be used 2-3 times a day for no longer than 7 days.
Gradually reduce the number of instillations. If you are at home, then avoid the drops altogether. Use the drops only before bed. You can divide your usual dose into two doses - morning and evening. Gradually get yourself to use minimum quantity drops - one in each nostril.
Need to get rid of constant desire apply nose drops at the first sign of congestion. Often a person grabs a bottle of drops not because it is really needed, but because he is afraid to experience the feeling of complete nasal congestion.
At night, place the bottle of drops away from the bed. Let laziness to go to another room for drops play its creative role.

Some exercises to relieve congestion

How to cure addiction to drops if all methods of self-restraint are very difficult and do not bring the desired result? Of course, everyone (including doctors) will advise you to be patient. However, advice is easier to give than to follow.

IN folk medicine There are many techniques that will help not only get rid of drug addiction, but also the runny nose itself.

In many folk energy practices There are techniques that help your nose breathe easily and freely.

Action
Comments
Any physical exercise, especially on fresh air, help improve breathing through the nose. For example, a walk (or better yet, a jog) in the fresh air may well return the mucous membrane to its normal state. You should especially pay attention to walks in winter. If your physical form not in better condition, then the first thing you will feel when you go out into the cold is difficulty breathing, including through the nose. There's probably room in your pockets for nasal drips.

Don't rush to get them. Better make a few sharp breaths through the nose. If you really can’t breathe through your nose, then inhale through your mouth and exhale forcefully through your nose. It may turn out something like blowing your nose. So be it, but after doing this exercise several times, you will probably feel relief.

In the doctrine of energy centers, called chakras, it is said that treatment of diseases of the nose and throat should be carried out by activating the lowest centers. These are the red and orange chakras located at the very bottom of the abdomen. There is one exercise from the arsenal of eastern cultures - the horseman's pose is called. It perfectly opens the lower chakras and cleanses well energy channels. Place your feet shoulder-width apart, or better yet, wider. Your feet should be placed parallel to your shoulders. Hands should be placed in the chest area, palms pressed against each other. Squat down slowly. Stop the squat by bending your knees at approximately an angle of slightly more than 90 degrees. You need to freeze in this position for an indefinite period of time.

Normally, you need to stand like this for about 10 minutes. However, untrained people can hold out for about three minutes, or even less. A good guide is strong pain and trembling legs. Try to achieve a very large trembling throughout the body. After a few days of such exercises, your nose will forget about swelling and drops. This exercise can be simplified. Just start doing a regular squat. However, before finishing it, freeze, crouching at the same angle of just over 90 degrees.

The rest of the recommendations are the same - hold on as long as possible, waiting for a major tremor.
In a good way opening the lower chakras are all kinds of hip movements. Almost the same way it is done in belly dancing, only without the erotic overtones.

There is one more good complex, which will help not only “open” your nose, but also clear your breathing. Stand straight, place your feet shoulder-width apart, and extend your arms forward, palms down. With a circular movement of your hands, turn your palms up, bend your arms at the elbows, and “pull” them to your chest. Your elbows should go behind your back and your palms should be placed on the sides of your chest. This is done while inhaling. Hold your breath a little and, as you exhale, slowly move your hands forward as if you were pushing away an invisible barrier with your palms. The nose should breathe on its own, but if it doesn’t, then let breathing through the mouth help it. It is advisable to do this exercise at least three times.

After the third time, you need to extend your arms while holding your breath. Having straightened your arms almost completely, begin to describe a circle with tension in your arms. Do this as if you were holding a basketball with force, for example, with movements around its perimeter. Exhalation begins from the moment the circle is described. This exercise is also done at least three times.

Finally, the last element of this complex will be the following exercise. Place your feet at a distance of about 20 centimeters from each other. The arms should be tense and placed along the body. Quickly and forcefully bend your elbows and place your hands, straightened and tense, behind your head at a level just below your ears. The inhalation should be sharp, strong and through the nose. After this, return your arms with great tension to their original position. The exhalation should be as sharp as possible and through the nose. The exhalation should end in the starting position. However, the whole body should be as tense as possible, the stomach should be pulled in so that with tension all the air can be expelled from the lungs, bronchi and nose. This exercise is also done at least three times.

How to relieve swelling in the nose without drops and exercises?

As a rule, swelling in the nose is accompanied by swelling throughout the body. Take some herbal diuretics mild action. To relieve swelling throughout the body, birch leaves or buds, dill seeds, lingonberry leaf, chamomile and currant flowers.


If it’s really hard, you can take furosemide, starting with half a tablet.

Locally, you can relieve swelling with baking soda or potatoes. Gauze should be soaked in a saturated solution of soda and placed on the nose. You can do the same with potatoes by chopping them raw on a grater.

Wrap the potato pulp in gauze, then put it all on your nose. You need to keep the compresses for at least an hour.

By the way, various alcohol compresses, mixed with soda and sea ​​salt.

Not all are listed here possible ways getting rid of swelling in the nose. This suggests that it is possible to get rid of “drip” addiction, if only you have the desire.