A decongestant is a medication that is used to relieve a stuffy and blocked nose. Nasal congestion is a blockage of the nasal passages as the membranes of the nose have swelled up. The membranes lining the nose swell up due to dilated and inflamed blood vessels result in a completely blocked or stuffy nose.

What Causes Nasal Congestion?

There can be many reasons for the condition. For example, mild, moderate and severe allergic reactions can all cause the nasal membrane to swell up resulting in the blocked nose. The common cold or influenza and sinusitis also list a blocked nose in its symptoms. Hay fever or allergies to pollen, grass and cold winds may cause temporary nasal congestion. Reactions to medications like Flomax also list nasal congestion as a symptom. Usually treating the condition that is causing the blocked nose will relieve all symptoms. However, till the time that the underlying medical condition is relieved, most patients will find it difficult to breathe through their nose. Sleeping is difficult too as the dilated and swollen membranes pinch the nasal passages when the person lies down. This effect is particularly distressing for newborn infants who must breathe through their nose. Nasal congestion in newborns can make it difficult for them to nurse and cause serious breathing problems. Prolonged nasal congestion can also cause ear problems with speech and hearing development delays.

Decongestants Brands – How Do They Work?

Most decongestants are available over the counter and they work on the simple principle of constricting the blood vessels in the nose. Most oral or nasal decongestant sprays are sprayed into the nose. The medication will constrict the blood supply of the nasal membrane causing it to shrink and relieve the obstruction. This effect is usually temporary and rebound stuffiness after the effect of the drug was worn off is quite common. The most common decongestant brands that are used include the following-

Pseudo-ephedrine- This chemical compound forms the main component of almost all nasal and sinus decongestant medications. Common over the counter brands like Sudafed, Contac, Nasofed and Drixoral all contain different amounts of the compound. It can also be used as an oral decongestant in the form of tablets. Other branded products which contain the compound include Codral cold and flu tablets, Actifed, Sinufed which contains pseudo-ephedrine HCL, MucinexD which contains pseudoephedrine and guaifenesin to relieve coughs and colds, TheraFlu, Congestal, Aleve D, Cirrus, and Eltor.

Phenylpropanolamine- This chemical compound is the next most popular compound that is used in over the counter decongestants. It is commonly used in prescription medication as well to relieve coughs and colds. However, the medication has been supposed to cause strokes in patients and the US- FDA has advised stoppage of the medication in decongestant use. The compound is still available in the form of Robitussin CF and Dimetapp.

Phenylephrine- The chemical compound is now used primarily as a decongestant. In recent years, it has become the compound of choice for use in nasal decongestants. Popular over the counter remedies which contain the medication include Lemsip Max Cold and Flu, Codral Cold and Flu, Sudafed PE Non Drowsy Nasal Decongestant, Beechams Flu-plus, Advil Congestion Relief,  Demazin PE, Excedrin Sinus Headache, Dristan, Entex, Neo-Synephrine, Dayquil Capsules, Tylenol capsules and sinus, Nyal Decongestant Nasal Spray, Panadol Flu Strength, Dimetapp PE Adult strength Nasal Decongestant.

Tetrahydrozoline – This chemical compound is commonly used to treat stuffed noses. The drug is primarily used as an eye drop but ingestion can cause low blood pressure, drowsiness, slowed heart beats and even coma and impaired breathing. It is commonly retailed under the brand name of Tyzine Nasal Spray. It is also available in the form of eye drops in a brand called as Visine which is used to reduce conjunctiva redness.

Store Brands vs. Prescription Medications

Most stores like Wal-Mart’s and Rite-Aid retail their own kind of nasal decongestants which have the same chemical compounds that are listed above. Store bought brands do not require a prescription and they are usually much milder in dose. However, we do suggest that you get in touch with a doctor or an outpatient clinic to find the right medication for your requirements.  Make sure that you check the ingredients of the nasal spray before you use it if you are buying store brands. You may also consider taking a look at a natural nasal decongestant.

Decongestant Brands – Precautions

As with any other medication, decongestants are also fraught with risks. Most doctors do not recommend the long term use of decongestants in adults or children (see our articles for infants and toddlers). Prolonged long term use can result in Rhinitis Medicamentosa. In this medical condition, long term use of decongestants results in rebound nasal congestion. Doctors recommend that the decongestant be stopped immediately or the patient may acquire a permanent turbinate hyperplasia or permanent enlargement of the nasal membrane which will have to be removed by surgery. Some patients have also reported short-tem side effects like nervousness, an accelerated heartbeat, dizziness and sleeping difficulties. Use of warm water saline nose drops is recommended in such cases to melt the mucus, soothe the irritated nasal membrane and to reduce the stuffiness. Ideally, patients who suffer from high blood pressure, glaucoma, heart and thyroid diseases and diabetes are not supposed to take the medication. Limit your use of the decongestant to 3-5 days and not more than that to protect yourself. Get in touch with your doctor immediately if your congestion persists for more than two weeks, if you have high fever and facial pan and if you experience dizziness and headaches.

These days, the use of a nasal decongestant is common among people who have sinus illnesses. Some of them have continuous congestion in the nose and perhaps they are even due to viral infections.  Whatever the case, they would like to find some of the decongestants that can effectively remove the problems they’re experiencing.

Using a Decongestant Spray

The spray form of decongestant is dominating in the market in recent years. One of the obvious reasons is that this type of spray can be used conveniently. Users can carry this bottle of spray virtually anywhere, all in a convenient size. If they feel that they suffer from congestion again, they can immediately use the spray to increase the flow of air in their nasal cavity and resolve the problem of congestion.

Of course, there are other types of methods that people can consider using in order to increase the efficiency of nasal cavity airflow. They can choose to medication in tablet form, for example. According to some users, there are some good decongestant brands in the market that are available in tablet form to cure any sinus problems. There are different types of chemicals involved in these medicines because it takes a different approach for the chemicals to reach the nasal cavity and exert the medicinal effect there. As a result, the difference would be something important that you should take a look at. If you do not understand the ingredients involved in the decongestants, you may suffer from some medicinal allergies or other undesirable results.

Side Effects of a Nasal Decongestant

Common forms of decongestant side effects include the following:

• Headache
• Feeling sleepy
• Vomiting
• Reduction of appetite

The above list of effects is quite common amongst users. You would find that some of the people are worried about the effects as mentioned above because they do not want to reduce their work efficiency during the day. In order to meet this demand, some of drug manufacturers have successfully developed types of products in a non-drowsy form. This is a good way to get the congestion relief without sacrificing productivity during the day.

In fact, there are some types of relatively serious negative effects of taking the drugs. But it may not be the generalized problems because they are specific to particular situations. For example, there would be serious problems if people take a particular brand of decongestants together with the medicines that treat cold-like symptoms. There may also be problems if people have high blood pressure. These are not the common problems found across the brands of decongestants, but these are the potential issues that can affect the health of some users who take the drugs. Therefore, you have to be very careful when they choose to purchase the medicines and use them.

The Best Place to Buy A Nasal Decongestant

There are many ways that people can get the decongestants they need. Some of these products do not require prescription. Therefore, people can buy the medicines over the counter. Others like natural nasal decongestant brands can be found in dedicated health stores. But some of these medicines may require prescription. Therefore, you may need to consult your doctors first. The prescribed nasal decongestants are usually very effective, but often more powerful than their over-the-shelf counterparts. The effectiveness is also great and the curing effects could usually last longer than less powerful shelf remedies. If your problem is not serious enough to warrant a prescription, your doctor will recommend a suitable alternative that works best.

Summary

To conclude, nasal congestion is a troublesome problem that make a lot of people frustrated. The best thing to do is find a good nasal decongestant that gives you fast relief and works for a longer period of time. This would be the most effective solution for you, and would give you relief that just works.

Nasal congestion is a very annoying problem. Therefore, people usually would like to find the right decongestants in order to help them solve the problem quickly. However, not many take into consideration the possible decongestant side effects. This will pose some dangers on you if you’re not careful.

Make sure to read our Medical Disclaimer and continue reading.

Common Decongestant Side Effects

When you try to find the best nasal decongestant for help, you should read and understand the side effects that can affect you. According to many doctors, one of the primary downsides of long-term use of decongestants is that the heart disease would become more serious. When people take certain decongestants, overall blood pressure can increase. It is because some medicines would aim at elevating the blood pressure of the body in order to support the nasal cavity to remove the congestion problem. However, the increase of blood pressure would occur to the whole body instead of only the nasal cavity. If you have tried to use these medicines while you have hypertension or other related heart diseases, it will be very dangerous.

There are also some types of decongestant side effects. For example, you may suffer from a loss of appetite or the nausea feeling. Some of the people would also suffer from problems in the urinary system. There are also possibilities of other side effects, such as:

• Restlessness
• Headache
• Visual problems

These problems are relatively less serious when compared with the hypertension problem. However, these side effects can all make the patients feel uncomfortable so patients should always understand these decongestant side effects before they try to use the medicines.

Decongestant Brands

Some of the more common decongestants are the following:

- Sudafed Nasal Decongestant
- Dimetapp Decongestant

These decongestants are very effective, but they may or may not have side effects that you will encounter. You can check out reviews of Sudafed here as an example.

Consulting Doctors in Advance

You should always find doctors in advance if you have other medicinal history that may affect your ability to take decongestants safely. Some of the patients do not consult doctors because they think that they can fix the problem by choosing some over-the-counter drugs. However, these drugs may have some chemicals that may be harmful in certain people. As mentioned above, patients with heart diseases are not advised to take the decongestants. Even though they may have taken the drugs to ease the heart disease problems, the administration of decongestants may ruin that medicinal effect and may cause other serious problems.

Without the sufficient expertise, it is hard for patients to determine whether it would be appropriate for them to take the decongestants together with other medicines. Therefore, the consultation with doctors is the most direct way to find the answer. If you do not want to put yourself at serious risk, you should always try your best to look for the chances to discuss with doctors.

Precautions That You Can Take

Always do your research before you buy any medicine, and don’t take anything if you are unsure of what the effects will be (if any). Consult with your doctor for the best course of action. This is really the best way to avoid any problems that you may encounter.

Avoid Decongestant Side Effects Altogether

There are so many decongestant side effects that you have to pay attention to the medicines that you’re taking. Although some of these side effects may not sound serious, you should still take a look at the relevant information for your personal health situation in order to make the best decisions. There are many brands of decongestants in the market now which do help, but you need to be sure that you take the one that doen’t harm you in any way.

Everybody wants to enjoy a breath of fresh air. Therefore, people always hate the feeling of a plugged up nose that can’t smell anything. For sinus congestion relief, there are many different kinds of decongestant brands available. Although, sometimes it’s not the right brand but rather the type of decongestant that works best. One of the types that you can choose would be a natural nasal decongestant.

Natural Nasal Decongestant Options

If you really want to say goodbye to nasal congestion problems, you might want to look for some natural solutions to try. Taking nasal decongestant herbs would be one of the most effective ways. According to many users, there are some types of herbs or supplements that can help patients recover from the congestion. Here is a list of them that can help you:

• Quercetin
• Vitamin C
• Nettles
• Ginger
• Eyebright
• Bioflavonoids
• Butterbur

Quercetin

This is an ingredient that is extracted from red onion skins and also apples. This herb acts as an anti-histamine. Therefore, it could act as the antioxidant as well as the anti-inflammatory agent and this would save you from congestion trouble.

Vitamin C

This is not actually a form of herb, but rather a supplement. However, as a natural nasal decongestant it is really helpful. Vitamin C is the antioxidant that can work well to fight against any allergies and help keeps the body vitalized. Therefore, you would find that nasal congestion may fade after you use Vitamin C products if the root cause of the problem is due to an allergy.

Nettles

In many of the decongestant spray products, there would be an ingredient called nettles. This is a tropical plant that can serve as an anti-histamine and it can also protect patients from the initial stage of allergies. In turn, this would help prevent congestion from occurring.

Ginger

There is a wide variety of ginger plants in the market. These plants can work as anti-inflammatory agents especially when there are problems in the mucus membrane. When allergy attacks the patients, there would be a very serious inflammation in the membrane and this will not be something nice at all. Do yourself a favor and pick up some ginger as a decongestant to try.

Eyebright

Originally, this herb was used to treat eye problems. However, it is also found to be useful in treating the nasal congestion problem. Therefore, this herb is also one of the commonly adopted nasal decongestant remedies when people want to remove the problem naturally.

Bioflavonoids

This type of herb is extracted from citrus fruits. The interior part of it is white, and can be effectively extracted for use as a nasal decongestant.

Butterbur

This is part of the ragweed family. Therefore, you should remember not to take this herb if you have allergies towards ragweed plants.

Advantages of Using Natural Nasal Decongestant

When people take natural remedies, they would enjoy the benefit of a long-term cure with little to no harmful effects on the body. Although the initial stage of treatment may take longer time, the root cause of the congestion would usually be treated. Moreover, these herbs can usually boost overall health instead of simply treating the nasal problem. Therefore, some patients prefer to keep taking those herbs to maintain their health in the long run.

Summary

You can find a good natural nasal decongestant practically anywhere these days. There are a lot of herbs which can be used as natural remedies and a lot of people have tried to take these as the natural solutions to the problem. Some claim to even say that the remedies are more useful than those medicines manufactured by large pharmaceuticals.

However, it usually takes longer to experience signs of relief. Also, retailers often charge a premium for natural solutions as they aren’t found in abundance like regular over-the-counter medicines. This is the reason why a lot of people still prefer to choose traditional medicines instead of natural solutions.

When we suffer from the problems of sinus congestion, it would be quite difficult for us to overcome it without taking medicine. This is the same case for infants. Without proper treatment, the congestion of the nasal cavity can cause major problems with infants. In some of the serious cases, infants could suffer from long-term effects as a result of the congestion. If the timing of treatment is not right, ill-effects could persist all throughout their childhood. Therefore, it is really important to find the right decongestant for infants that works.

Before continuing, please note that even for the most minor of congestion, it is better to consult with your pediatrician or doctor for advice. Read our Medical Dislcaimer.

Finding the Cause

If you find that there is serious congestion occurring, you should try to find the reason. Otherwise, the problem can repeat again in the future. If you suspect that the congestion is due to allergic reaction, you should not hesitate to search for the cause of the allergy. Take note of their diet and eating habits. Make certain that you log all changes to their living environment. You can discuss with your doctor to see if anything else has changed and what might be affecting them. This will be very important for you to prevent this from happening again.

Getting the Right Decongestant for Infants

Since there are many types of nasal decongestants in the market, it would definitely require you to spend time to study the information related to different decongestants. Your doctor should be able to help you find the right one that doesn’t have any side effects. Further, you want to make sure that you get the decongestant that doesn’t have any ill effects on your child’s developmental abilities at this early stage in life. Avoid anything that would cause harm to their growth and development. Your doctor will be able to advise what is safe for your child at this age.

Summary

To conclude, there are a lot of types of infant decongestant in the market which are available with a prescription. Before you buy anything, be sure to do your research and consult with expert pediatricians before attempting any medication. Any prescribed decongestants should be used carefully for infants to get relief. Some types of decongestants may not be suitable for kids. There are alternative treatments, such as natural herbs, that may be able to treat infant congestion. Again, do your research properly and always be aware of what you are giving your child. You need to balance the pros and cons before you choose the method of treatment. To review:

• Discuss with doctors and identify the root cause
• Choose natural remedies or prescribed decongestants
• Get a solution to prevent the problem from happening again

The last point is key. The best decongestant for infants is the one that is the most effective for fast relief, long-term duration, and without any side effects.

If you do not want your little ones to suffer from serious nasal congestion, using the right decongestant for toddlers would be an appropriate solution to the problem.

It’s really important for people to give their kids good care when nasal congestion occurs. It’s because if the congestion is not fully treated while they’re still a young child, the problem could become latent in the body and come out again at a later period of time. This will make the toddler suffer a lot when he or she grows up. Therefore, it will be necessary for you to find out what the best decongestant is for this situation.

There are several ways of treating congestion in toddlers, which include:

• Over-the-counter medicines
• Prescription medicines or decongestants
• Nasal saline solution
• Humidifiers
• Natural oils

Over-the-Counter Medicines

There are a lot of nasal decongestant products that can be purchased over the counter. These medicines would be helpful for adults to get their nasal congestion cured. Be very careful though, because some of the medicines may not be suitable for toddlers because the medicinal effects may be too strong for them to tolerate.

Prescription Decongestants

There are some types of decongestant for toddlers that are provided with a prescription. If the problem is serious, assistance from doctors is needed to help identify the most useful solution to the congestion problem.

If you are unsure of how to treat congestion in your toddler, call a doctor immediately.

Nasal Saline Solution

Saline solution can always help toddlers and even adults to relieve nasal congestion. The solution could be applied in form of drops, and is one of the more common forms of treatment.

Humidification

For toddlers suffering from problems of sinus congestion, moist air from a humidifier would also help them to be more comfortable. Therefore, parents can choose to use humidifiers to see if that helps. Warm, dry air would make children feel more uncomfortable with a plugged nose, but a humidifier might help in this situation. Even if they can only experience temporary relief, this will last you until you find something more effective. Small, room-sized humidifiers are perfect that can be used as decongestants for mild cases of sinus problems.

Natural Oils

Apart from using the humidifiers, natural oils can also help toddlers feel more comfortable. There are a lot of people who have tried to use natural oils to make the air more comfortable and moist. Of course, some kids may find that the scents from the oils aren’t that pleasant. If they’re too sensitive to the smell it’s better to switch to something else.

A Decongestant for Toddlers – How Much?

Every one of the aforementioned remedies would require you to spend some money. However, you will find that it will benefit your children a lot if you choose the correct decongestant for them. Brand name decongestants like Sudafed and Benadryl will cost more than their generic counterparts. They would be roughly equivalent to the cost of natural oils. Humidifiers would be the most expensive solution, but at least they double as air moisturizers and are transportable to other rooms in your home.

Decongestant for Toddlers – The Bottom Line

To conclude, you should choose among the options of decongestant for toddlers if you really want to help your kids out. If you’re finding that nothing works, or you’re not sure what to do, the first thing you should do is to speak with your family doctor.