Dr. Madeleine Schaberg - "Is There A Health Risk When Using Nasal Spray?"
When your nose is so stuffed that you can barely breathe, few things bring as much relief as an OTC nasal decongestant spray. The meds work on receptors in blood vessels in your nose, shrinking them down and opening nasal passages. But you can use it so often that you develop a condition called rhinitis medicamentosa, a.k.a., rebound congestion. Vessels in your nose start to depend on the spray. “They start to swell beyond their normal size, because they’re waiting for the chemical hit,” says Madeleine Schaberg, MD, an assistant professor of otolaryngology at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai. This vicious cycle of overuse and dependence can last for months, even years.
- Madeleine Schaberg, MD, Assistant Professor, Otolaryngology, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York Eye and Ear Infirmary of Mount Sinai