Don't use a spray more than once every 12 hours, or longer than 3 days.
Although saline nasal sprays are safe for daily, ongoing use, they can cause a runny nose if you use too much at one time.
Because saline nasal sprays do not contain any medication and include only a simple salt water solution, there is no limit on the frequency with which they can be used.
Use up to 8 ounces of solution in each nasal cavity 1-2 times daily, or as often as prescribed by a health care provider.
Accidentally using too much steroid nasal spray is unlikely to be harmful. Speak to a pharmacist or doctor if you're worried. Using a steroid nasal spray too much over a long period can increase your risk of getting side effects.
If nasal decongestant sprays are used too often and/or for an extended period of time, they can cause nasal congestion to worsen, a well-documented rebound condition known as rhinitis medicamentosa.
It might be time to consider how you're treating it. If a nasal decongestant spray is a fixture in your medication lineup, it's important to know that using these sprays for more than three consecutive days can actually worsen your congestion.
Saline nasal sprays do not contain any medication, so they can be used as often as needed in order to improve the symptoms of nasal congestion.
A very serious allergic reaction to this drug is rare. However, get medical help right away if you notice any symptoms of a serious allergic reaction, including: rash, itching/swelling (especially of the face/tongue/throat), severe dizziness, trouble breathing.
Mild throat irritation is another common side effect, which can result from dripping of the medication down the back of throat due to incorrect position of the head or breathing in too quickly when pumping the medication (snorting the medication).
If you've been using decongestant nasal sprays, here's how you can tell if you have rebound congestion: Your nasal spray isn't helping. If your nasal spray doesn't seem to work anymore or you need it more often, you've probably developed rebound congestion. You feel more stuffy as time goes on.
If you regularly deal with thick, nasal congestion, saline nasal sprays can help to loosen and thin out mucus. It can also be used daily without rebound nasal congestion or harm to the nasal tissue.
Saline nasal sprays work by moisturizing the nose, dissolving and loosening the mucus in the nasal passages, adding moisture to the nasal passages to prevent them from becoming more inflamed, and preventing the nasal passages from drying out.
Nasal saline irrigations (NSIs) are very common and frequently used for patients with upper respiratory infections and allergic rhinitis. Unfortunately, contamination is a vulnerability and although it does not always lead to an infection, the ability for bacteria to contaminate these products is concerning.
Yes. These sprays can cause a so-called “nasal spray addiction” in some people. This often occurs when a person uses the decongestant nasal spray too frequently or for too long. Strictly, this is rebound congestion and not an addiction.
This may due to too much or too little salt in the saline solution. 5 It is also possible that the irrigation may actually cause nasal congestion, but this will typically resolve on its own.
Saline spray – Saline nasal sprays contain a mixture of water and salt. They are designed to lubricate and flush out nasal passages, relieving nasal dryness, nosebleeds and congestion associated with seasonal allergies or other conditions.
Three times a week was often enough once their symptoms eased. But using it too often can irritate your nasal passages. And it might be counterproductive to use it daily for a long time. The mucus in our nasal passages helps to protect us against infection.
To be clear, using saline will help soothe irritated sinuses and may help prevent future sinus infections, but it does not treat the infection.
Frequent or prolonged use may cause nasal congestion to recur or worsen. If you still need a nasal decongestant after using Afrin for 3 days, please consult your healthcare professional.
Rhinitis medicamentosa (RM), also known as 'rebound congestion' is inflammation of the nasal mucosa caused by the overuse of topical nasal decongestants. It classifies as a subset of drug-induced rhinitis.