Decongestants for Snoring
Examples
Many
over-the-counter decongestants are available to treat
snoring. The following are a few examples:
|
| oxymetazoline | Afrin |
| phenylephrine | Neo-Synephrine |
| pseudoephedrine | Sudafed |
Some decongestants are sprayed into the nose. Others are
taken in pill form.
In some states, medicines containing
pseudoephedrine (such as Sudafed) are kept behind the pharmacist's counter or
require a prescription. You may need to ask the
pharmacist for it or have a prescription from your
doctor to buy the medicine. The amount of decongestant you can buy at one time
also may be limited.
How It Works
Decongestants narrow blood vessels,
reducing the blood supply to nasal
mucous membranes. This reduces nasal congestion. If
snoring is caused by nasal congestion, snoring may be
reduced.
- Oral decongestants not only narrow blood
vessels in the nose, they also narrow blood vessels in other parts of the body,
which can cause side effects such as
high blood pressure and nervousness.
- Nasal decongestant sprays narrow blood vessels only in the nose
and not in other parts of the body, so they rarely cause the side effects that
oral decongestants do. But you can only use nasal decongestants for a few days.
Using them longer than this can lead to
rebound congestion, a condition in which the
decongestant causes initial relief followed by nasal congestion that gets
worse. Using a nasal decongestant continually to avoid rebound congestion can
result in a dependence on the medicine.
Why It Is Used
Decongestants are used for nasal
congestion. Nasal congestion may contribute to
snoring, so using decongestants may help reduce
snoring.
How Well It Works
Nasal spray decongestants work within
about 10 minutes and may relieve nasal congestion for up to 12 hours. Oral
decongestants work within 30 minutes and may relieve nasal congestion for up to
6 hours. If you can reduce the amount of nasal congestion, you may be able to
reduce your snoring.
Purchased or homemade saltwater (saline)
nasal sprays may also help clear up a stuffy nose. See information on
cleaning your nasal passages with salt water.
Side Effects
If too much nasal decongestant spray is
used or if it is used for too long a time, rebound congestion may occur between
uses or after use is stopped.
Side effects of decongestant pills
may include:
In men with an
enlarged prostate, use of decongestants may cause
difficulty urinating.
See Drug Reference for a full list of side
effects. (Drug Reference is not available in all systems.)
What To Think About
- Decongestant nasal sprays should be used only
for short periods of time (not more than 3 days in a row).
- Overdose
of decongestants can cause high blood pressure, nervousness,
kidney failure, heart rhythm disturbances,
strokes, and
seizures. But commonly used decongestants have little
effect on blood pressure when used as directed. If you have uncontrolled high
blood pressure, you should not use these medicines.
- If you have
coronary artery disease,
diabetes, or
thyroid problems, talk to your doctor before using
decongestants.
- If you have
glaucoma or other conditions that cause increased
pressure inside the eye, talk with your
ophthalmologist before using decongestant
medicines.
- If you are taking tricyclic antidepressants and/or
monoamine oxidase inhibitors (MAOIs), which are sometimes used to treat
depression and
migraine headaches, talk to your doctor before using
decongestants.
- Many nonprescription preparations for other health
problems, such as some diet pills, contain decongestants. To avoid a possible
overdose, do not take at the same time two medicines that contain
decongestants.
- Be careful with these medicines. They may not be safe for young children or for people who have certain health problems, so check the label first. If you do use these medicines, always follow the directions about how much to use based on age and weight.
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Credits
| By | Healthwise Staff |
|---|
| Primary Medical Reviewer | E. Gregory Thompson, MD - Internal Medicine |
|---|
| Specialist Medical Reviewer | Jan Ulfberg - Sleep Medicine |
|---|
| Last Revised | August 4, 2010 |
|---|
Last Revised:
August 4, 2010
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