How to treat medicinal rhinitis

According to statistics, vasoconstrictor nasal sprays and drops are the most popular means for treating a runny nose. These medications are available and can be purchased at any pharmacy without a doctor's prescription. Most patients consider rhinitis to be a banal ailment and limit themselves to the recommendations of pharmacists who select nasal drops without taking into account the diagnosis, severity and form of the disease, and the presence of complications.

Often the patient violates the recommended dosage regimen and duration of treatment. As a result of such “active” therapy, drug dependence on intranasal drugs develops. It is very difficult for a person to refuse drops, despite the fact that they only temporarily relieve swelling of the nasopharynx and do not allow them to cope with rhinitis.

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Causes of drug-induced rhinitis

Infectious or allergic rhinitis is manifested by inflammatory reactions, one of the symptoms of which is swelling of the nose. The body tries to cope with this process, and blood circulation increases in the nasal passages. As a result, an increase in the size of blood vessels contributes to the development of nasal congestion. Nasal breathing becomes difficult, the sense of smell is lost, the person rushes to get rid of these unpleasant symptoms with the help of decongestants (vasoconstrictor drops - vasoconstrictors).

From vasoconstrictor drops, blood vessels narrow, swelling quickly subsides, breathing through the nose is restored, and the sense of smell is normalized. The therapeutic effect of decongestants lasts 4-12 hours, after this period the lumen of the blood vessels increases again, swelling and congestion of the nasal passages returns. The patient knows how to get rid of the unpleasant condition and again uses vasoconstrictor drops.

If nasal vasoconstrictor drops are used correctly, addiction does not occur. The recommended period of use of the drugs is 3-7 days. Dependence manifests itself if the patient neglects the instructions for use and violates the frequency and duration of therapy. This is due to the fact that tachyphylaxis develops when the body’s response to repeated use of medications decreases. A person uses the same nasal remedies, but the vessels react poorly to them. To achieve a therapeutic effect, decongestants must be instilled more often.

The main active components of the drugs are substances such as nasazoline, oxymetazoline, xylometazoline, phenylephrine. Violation of the frequency and duration of therapy leads to the fact that the own regulation of capillary tone suffers. Up to the complete destruction of reflex regulation. The capillaries get used to narrowing from nasal drops and wait for the arrival of active components from the outside.

The longer a person uses vasoconstrictor drops, the stronger the addiction and the less chance of restoring their own regulation. You can only get rid of addiction to nasal drops with the help of an ENT specialist.

Treatment of medicinal rhinitis - effective medications and folk remedies

Drug-induced rhinitis is a complex disease caused by addiction to drops. The disorder is characterized by constant nasal congestion, and the patient may complain of frequent sputum production, burning and itching.

It is difficult to cure the disease, since the addiction that has already arisen simply does not allow the use of traditional remedies to eliminate the symptoms of rhinitis. Most often, the disorder occurs in those patients who prefer to be treated independently, without seeking advice from a therapist.

If, due to self-medication or for other reasons, a diagnosis of medicinal rhinitis has been made, treatment must begin from the first day.

Treatment of drug-induced rhinitis

Reasons for the formation of drug-induced rhinitis

Today, there are three main reasons why a patient may experience drug-induced rhinitis:

• decreased vascular tone due to suppression of the synthesis of ephedrine and substances that have a similar effect, because of this, permeability decreases and sputum begins to be constantly produced;
• the atrophic condition of the mucous tissue of the nasal cavity, as well as the pathological dilation of nasal vessels, occurs due to the use of Naphthyzin and similar medications;
• the formation of vascular dystonia of the nasal cavity, which causes a decrease in the resistance of vascular tissues and leads to rapid addiction to any vasoconstrictor agents.

What is medicinal rhinitis

Attention! Drug-induced rhinitis can also be provoked by reasons such as prolonged use of antihypertensive drugs, non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, hormones and tranquilizers of all types.

First aid for medicinal rhinitis

No matter how trivial it may sound, but first the patient will need to completely abandon any nasal drops. It makes no difference what active substance you used the medication with.

Typically, in 60-70% of patients, if they have not taken treatment with vasoconstrictor drops for more than 12 weeks, nasal breathing completely improves on its own without medical intervention. The recovery period will take approximately 10-15 days.

If this technique does not give the desired result, treatment with complete antagonists of vasoconstrictor drops is necessary.

How does rhinitis medicamentosa occur?

Attention! The longer the patient takes vasoconstrictor drops, the more difficult it is for him to restore nasal breathing. Typically, drug-induced rhinitis occurs in adult patients, they make up 85-95% of all patients. This ratio is due to the fact that when treating children, parents usually strictly follow the instructions, which cannot be said when treating adults.

Nasonex against medicinal rhinitis

It is recommended to take this medication at the same time as Loratadine ; it is in this combination that it shows the fastest and best possible results. Nasonex refers to hormonal drugs created to suppress prolonged runny nose and nasal congestion, including those of an allergic nature. The main active ingredient of the drug is mometasone.

Nasonex is designed to suppress long-term runny nose and nasal congestion.

The dosage of the drug should be selected for each patient individually, taking into account the duration of use of vasoconstrictor drops and the complexity of the general condition.

The classic dosage for the treatment of medicinal rhinitis is 2 injections into each nostril once a day.

After the onset of relief and removal of acute symptoms, it is recommended to reduce the dosage of the active substance to 1 injection into each nasal passage, also once a day. The duration of therapy is 2-4 weeks.

Attention! Nasonex should not be used for severe injuries to the nose or after surgery, when the wound has not yet healed and formed a smooth surface or scar. When using the spray, you should also exclude any infections of the nasal cavity.

Avamys against medicinal rhinitis

Avamis is used only after consultation with a specialist

The drug is a nasal spray of a homogeneous dense white substance. The main active ingredient of the product is fluticasone, which has an anti-inflammatory, soothing and moisturizing effect. Avamis is an artificially created hormonal drug and is used only after consultation with a specialist.

Taking into account the severity of nasal congestion and the manifestation of medicinal rhinitis, it is recommended that in the acute stage it is recommended to instill two doses of the active substance into each nostril.

After acute symptoms are relieved, the amount of Avamis is reduced to one spray in each nostril. The duration of therapy for the treatment of medicinal rhinitis usually does not exceed 2-4 weeks.

Do not use if there are fungi and bacteria in the nasal cavity.

Tafen Nasal for medicinal rhinitis

Nasal spray Tafen Nasal

The medicine appeared on the shelves of our pharmacies not so long ago, but has already managed to show its effectiveness in the treatment of rhinitis, including those caused by the use of vasoconstrictor drops.

The main active ingredient of the drug is budesonide.

This component has a general anti-inflammatory and calming effect, is a local hormone, and rarely affects the human hormonal system when used correctly.

Taking into account the severity of symptoms, Tafen Nasal should be taken twice a day, two injections into each nostril during the acute period of treatment of rhinitis and one injection after relieving severe inflammation.

The duration of therapy is determined separately for each patient, but it cannot be more than 12 weeks. Typically, it takes no more than four weeks to suppress drug-induced rhinitis and restore nasal breathing.

Do not use if there are fungi and bacteria in the nasal cavity.

Cinnabsin

Homeopathic medicine Cinnabsin

A drug with combined effects. When used, it significantly reduces inflammation and conductivity of the nasal mucosa and blood vessels. Available in the form of lozenges.

When treating adult patients, it is recommended to take 1 tablet every hour, but not more than 12 per day, until the acute period is over. After this, treatment involves using 1 tablet no more than three times a day until complete recovery.

Take the tablets 30 minutes before or after meals. Duration of treatment is 2-4 weeks.

Kameton

Aerosol Kameton

This homeopathic medicine comes in the form of an aerosol to be sprayed into the nose. The main active ingredients of the product are chlorobutanol, camphor and menthol.

Cameton can also be used as an inhalation if drug-induced rhinitis has caused irritation of the larynx or its swelling. For treatment, you need to spray the product with one press in the mouth or nose in each nostril.

The medication should be sprayed strictly during the inhalation phase. For the best effect in the acute stage, Cameton can be sprayed into the mouth 2 times in one session.

Nux Vomica

Nux Vomica

When treating medicinal rhinitis, this drug is used in the form of peas, which should be taken strictly before going to bed. The dosage of Nux Vomica tablets may vary, but usually it is three peas.

Treatment is continued for three days, after which discontinuation of the drug is required. This medicine belongs to homeopathic medicine, but at the same time it has a strong effect on the body, and therefore cannot be used without prescription by the attending physician.

Attention! Usually, when using homeopathic medicines, experts do not recommend using any other drops or preparations. Therefore, when prescribing them, you should more fully clarify your course of treatment and the dose of active substances in the case of their combination.

Traditional recipes against medicinal rhinitis

SubstanceImage Method of preparation DoseCourse of treatment

Attention! At the initial stage of treatment, when complete abolition of any medications is practiced, folk remedies are not prohibited and can speed up the patient’s recovery. In severe cases of drug-induced rhinitis, homemade medications can only be used in combination with pharmaceutical ones, unless there are contraindications. In addition to the remedies described, the nose can also be washed with regular saline solution no more than 3 times, so as not to provoke otitis media.

Surgical treatment of drug-induced rhinitis

The decision to perform surgical intervention is used only in severe and advanced cases, when a combination of hormonal agents and other methods have not given the desired result. During surgery, the specialist trims the so-called “ridges” at the lower nasal passages.

This allows you to significantly increase the size of the nasal sinuses, which restores nasal breathing to normal volume.

During the operation, the surgeon, taking into account his qualifications and the equipment of the clinic, can use a traditional surgical scalpel or use ultrasonic disintegration and a laser, which is used to perform photodestruction.

Examination for drug-induced rhinitis before surgery

Attention! The latter two methods are considered safer and less invasive. When using ultrasound and laser, the patient is not at high risk of infection, severe bleeding, and the recovery period is much shorter than with traditional surgery.

If you experience a runny nose, you should not immediately seek help from vasoconstrictor drops. First, you need to try to improve your condition with warm salt compresses, inhalations and aromatherapy.

If improvement does not occur within the first two days, only mild vasoconstrictor drops should be used. In this case, it is better to choose those medications that have an additional moisturizing effect.

If the exact instructions for their use are followed, drug-induced rhinitis occurs only in a small percentage of patients.

— Cryomucosotomy for drug-induced rhinitis

Source: https://med-explorer.ru/otolaringologiya/medicinskie-preparaty/lechenie-medicamentoznogo-rinita.html

Symptoms of drug-induced rhinitis

The main symptoms of addiction to nasal drops:

• Nasal congestion does not go away on its own, but only after using vasoconstrictor drugs.
• Severe dependence on nasal drops. Often a person does not leave home without a bottle of medicine. The constant need for vasoconstrictors is similar to addiction to drugs.
• The nasal passages are constantly blocked, and it is difficult for a person to breathe, even if sinusitis, sinusitis or other underlying disease is completely treated.
• Burning, itching, and dry mucous membranes appear in the nasal sinuses.
• Colorless mucous discharge is constantly released.
• The sense of smell is partially or completely lost.

Indirect symptoms of dependence on vasoconstrictors:

• Systematic violation of the dosage regimen and non-compliance with the duration of medication. The patient reduces the intervals between instillation of drops and uses the drugs for more than 7 days.
• There is a feeling of panic when a person feels nasal congestion, but does not have decongestants on hand to relieve his condition.

A patient who has discovered such symptoms should come to an appointment with an ENT doctor!

Traditional medicine recipes

Drug-induced rhinitis can be treated with unconventional means. But before you start using the recipes of witch doctors and healers, you must consult your doctor, especially if your child is sick. Many components can provoke individual sensitivity or an allergic reaction, intensifying existing clinical symptoms.

Effective folk remedies:

A decoction of oak bark can be used to rinse the nasal passages. Replace nasal drops with a natural remedy, which includes aloe juice and sea buckthorn oil. At night, it is recommended to humidify the air in the room where the patient sleeps. Properly selected traditional medicine recipes will help restore breathing and restore damaged mucous membranes in the nose.

What are the dangers of abusing decongestants?

Uncontrolled use of vasoconstrictor drops leads to the fact that the capillaries are constantly in spasm. They stop functioning normally, blood flow is disrupted, and nearby tissues suffer because they do not receive the required amount of oxygen and nutritional components.

Systematic drying of the mucous membranes and disruption of its restoration threatens the development of malnutrition and the formation of drug-induced rhinitis. In an effort to get rid of seasonal runny nose as quickly as possible, a person acquires an illness that requires serious treatment.

The next danger is psychological addiction. A reflex is formed in the brain that normal breathing can only be restored with the help of medications. Using vasoconstrictor drops makes a person feel better; he does not think about the alarming consequences for his own health. Improper use of decongestant drops harms the entire body. Violation of the dosage regimen is especially dangerous in childhood. There are cases when a child has to be hospitalized because the mother intensively instilled drops into his nose. The danger is that vasoconstrictor drugs enter the general bloodstream and negatively affect all tissues and organs. Arterial hypertension may develop, shortness of breath, headache, insomnia, etc. may appear.

Most often, dependence on nasal drops is formed due to illiteracy of the population. Not everyone knows that harmless medications can cause intoxication of the entire body. If dangerous symptoms are detected, it is important to immediately seek medical help and receive timely treatment.

Symptoms

Nasal congestion and rhinorrhea are the main symptoms of drug-induced rhinitis. Nasal breathing first becomes difficult and then impossible without the use of vasoconstrictor drops.

Drug-induced rhinitis manifests itself:

• Migraine-like pain
• Decreased olfactory sensations
• The appearance of copious watery discharge,
• Tickling and itching in the nose,
• Dryness and tingling of the mucous membranes,
• Insomnia,
• The appearance of snoring
• Difficulty breathing,
• swelling of the nose,
• Redness or blueness of the skin of the nose,
• Tearing and sneezing,
• Irritability,
• Hypertension,
• Tachycardia,
• Pressing pain in the heart.

If such symptoms appear, you should consult a doctor and begin treatment. Clinical signs intensify in the evenings, when motor activity decreases and the tone of capillaries and arterioles reflexively decreases.

During an examination of the nasal cavity, the ENT doctor notes hyperemia and swelling of the mucous membrane with noticeable hemorrhages, transformation of the ciliated epithelium into squamous epithelium, hyperproduction of mucous gland secretions, and increased permeability of blood and lymphatic vessels. The capillaries become brittle, and the mucous membrane thins and atrophies.

When taking medications for a long time, it is important not to miss the first warning signs of the disease.

Complications arising from drug-induced rhinitis

The most common adverse effects of rhinitis medicamentosa are:

• persistent swelling of the nasal passages;
• night snoring;
• lack of smell;
• nasal voice;
• headache;
• frequent sneezing and watery eyes;
• feeling of itching, tingling and burning in the nose;
• tissue atrophy;
• dryness and hyperplasia of the mucous membranes;
• nosebleeds;
• displacement of the nasal septum.

In most cases, doctors manage to rid the patient of drug addiction using conservative methods. Surgery is used when treatment is ineffective.

Pharmacological treatment

If independent attempts to get rid of drug addiction are unsuccessful, the ENT doctor will prescribe a pharmacological treatment regimen, which will be based on the use of intranasal drugs of another group - corticosteroids.

Auxiliary treatment procedures will be selected depending on how far the addiction to the drops has gone, and what changes are noted in the nasal mucosa.

Local glucocorticosteroids for the treatment of drug-induced rhinitis are represented by the following drugs:

• Nasonex is a spray based on mometasone. It is used 1-2 times a day, 1-2 injections into each nasal passage;
• Flixonase is a medicine containing fluticasone. Used in the same way as Nasonex, or in accordance with the doctor’s recommendations;
• Avamis is a spray that also contains fluticasone, the method of application is similar;
• Tafen Nasal is a drug whose active component is budesonide. Use twice a day, 1-2 sprays in each nostril;
• Dexamethasone – contains the hormone of the same name. It is injected into the nasal passages 2 times a day, the course of treatment is 1 week.

Treatment of addiction to nasal drops

The first stage is awareness of the problem. It is necessary to accept that an addiction to nasal drops or sprays has formed. Addiction worsens the quality of life and threatens serious complications.

The next step is to seek help from a competent ENT doctor. A specialist will help distinguish medicinal rhinitis from seasonal or allergic rhinitis, decide how serious the complications are, and select adequate treatment to restore nasal breathing. The sooner the patient contacts the doctor, the more successfully vascular function will be restored.

Drug addiction sometimes takes years to form, so you can’t get rid of it in a couple of days. Nasal breathing improves gradually. Medicines, physiotherapy methods and surgical interventions are used. To make you feel better, the doctor prescribes intranasal anti-inflammatory drugs containing synthetic glucocorticosteroids. The drugs improve the condition of the mucous membrane, facilitate the discharge of mucus, and relieve the symptoms of inflammation. The therapy is complemented by physiotherapeutic procedures - laser treatment, medicinal extracts (herbal medicine), the use of ultraviolet irradiation, tube quartz treatment, etc.

Principles of treatment of rhinitis

Treatment of drug-induced rhinitis primarily involves immediate discontinuation of the vasoconstrictor drug. The resulting addiction to such a medicine does not go away immediately. Especially if rhinitis in a child is treated in this way. As a rule, the symptoms of the disease disappear within 10 days, sometimes 2 weeks. If the vasoconstrictor drug is discontinued, normal nasal breathing is gradually restored.

However, this is not always the case. After all, when a patient develops drug-induced rhinitis, its symptoms may be different. And the longer a person takes vasoconstrictor drugs, the more difficult it will be to get rid of pharmacological dependence on Naphthyzin, Galazolin and other similar drugs. So the treatment regimen may be slightly different.

In some cases, the patient is prescribed corticosteroid drugs. They have the exact opposite effect of vasoconstrictor drugs. These are medications such as Nasonex, Avamis, Flixonase. At the same time, addiction to such antagonists is not observed, i.e., a person does not develop drug dependence.

The use of physiotherapy is also effective. These medications can be combined with regular walks. It will be very useful for patients to be in a coniferous forest. The effectiveness of taking activated carbon has been proven: it removes excess medications from the body.

Surgical treatment of drug-induced rhinitis is necessary if the above treatment with medications is ineffective. During the operation, the ridges in the lower nasal passages are removed, and their volume can be increased. Thus, nasal breathing improves. Traditional surgery with a scalpel is very rarely used at this time. Much more often, doctors use ultrasonic disintegration and laser photodestruction.

Alternative treatment is used only in the initial stages. If the disease is advanced, then therapy with folk remedies is ineffective. Mixtures are used that include aloe juice, onion juice, honey, sea buckthorn oil, and some essential oils. Such compositions are usually instilled into the nasal passages.

Prevention of drug-induced rhinitis

As a preventative measure, it is recommended to treat a runny nose only with medications prescribed by the doctor. Vasoconstrictor medications can be taken, but not longer than 4 days. Otherwise, the patient may develop atrophy of the mucous membrane of the nasal passages.

In order to influence the cause of the runny nose, the doctor may prescribe antibiotics to the patient. It should be noted that all antibacterial drugs can only be used in cases of bacterial rhinitis. For viral diseases, antibiotics cannot be taken: they are not only useless, but also cause some harm to the body. Both antibiotics and antiviral drugs are used only according to an individual regimen prescribed by a doctor.

To treat allergic rhinitis, the patient is prescribed antihistamines and other drugs. All this is done only as directed by a doctor and in strictly prescribed dosages.

For prevention, hardening the body and using natural immunostimulants are of great importance. In most cases, such measures are enough to prevent the development of rhinitis. If a person has a tendency to allergies, it is necessary to avoid contact with seasonal allergens. Sanatorium-resort treatment is also useful: it helps to develop a person’s immunity. And, of course, we must avoid the uncontrolled use of vasoconstrictor drugs, as they cause great harm to the body.

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Surgical methods of treatment:

• Laser bloodless operation (vaporization), in which altered mucous membranes are removed by evaporation.
• Radio wave thermal reduction.
• An ultrasonic waveguide makes it possible to reduce the volume of blood vessels, after which healthy capillaries are formed in their place and nasal breathing is restored.
• Submucosal vasotomy, conchotomy.

Long-term use of vasoconstrictor drugs leads to serious consequences. Addiction will not go away on its own; specialist help is needed. You can get the necessary treatment at the CELT clinic. Here are high-quality diagnostics and effective therapy. Make an appointment with an ENT doctor right now.

Possible complications and consequences

Drug-induced rhinitis itself is unpleasant, but as it progresses, the dose and number of doses of the drug increase, as a result of which the patient may require more than one bottle of medication per day. This certainly affects the budget.

But besides that:

• patients may increasingly suffer from severe headaches that do not go away overnight and become even more intense in the morning;
• the quality of sleep deteriorates, since nasal congestion prevents you from resting peacefully, so a person often wakes up at night and is forced to administer a new dose of medication;
• snoring appears;
• there is a decrease in immunity due to constant lack of sleep and a decrease in the natural protection of the nasal passages;
• the sense of smell deteriorates, since in advanced cases, along with the cells of the mucous membrane, the receptors responsible for the perception of odors also die;
• Disturbances in the functioning of the endocrine, cardiovascular and other body systems may develop.

Only the doctor decides what to do in such cases, but most often in such situations only surgical intervention can save the situation. Therefore, in order to prevent the development of complications and unpleasant consequences, you should contact an ENT specialist when the first signs of drug addiction appear.

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