A discussion on decongestants

Blockage or congestion in the nasal passage or sinuses is mainly due to swollen blood vessels in the membranes of air ways. Sometimes the congestion may even extend to the chest. Decongestants are drugs that are used for shrinking the blood vessels of the nasal membranes. Thus there is free passage of air which will relieve congestion.

Decongestants can be chemically connected to stimulants. And that’s the reason why people taking decongestants may feel nervous and may have a bit of high pulse rate or sleeping problems. People who already have some heart problems like irregular heart beat or problems like blood pressure, heart disease, glaucoma must avoid using decongestants. It is important to understand that certain diet pills also use decongestants as a stimulant in the pills. And thus, people who are on diet pills must avoid taking decongestants.

Decongestants are available in pill form as well as liquid form. It is also available in the form of nasal sprays. If you are using over the counter nasal sprays then it is vital to use it only for 3-4 days and then discontinue. It is important that rather than being your own doctor, you take doctor’s opinion and then only use over the counter or prescribed decongestants in case of congestion.