Combined therapy methods allow to cope with dependence on topical anticongestants (vasoconstrictor drops). As part of the conservative treatment of a drug-induced rhinitis, anti-inflammatory and decongestant drugs are used, general stimulating sanitizing procedures, as well as physiotherapeutic methods - laser therapy, acupuncture, electrophoresis, etc. Irrational use of anticongestants often causes the development of uncontrolled vasodilation - excessive relaxation of muscle fibers in the walls of the arterioles that penetrate the nasopharynx.
Violation of vascular tone leads to swelling of the nasal mucosa and, as a result, the development of medication rhinitis. Treatment of non-started forms of the disease is carried out with the help of drugs and physiotherapy procedures. For atrophic and hypertrophic changes in the tissues of the nasopharynx, surgical methods of therapy are used - conchotomy, cryotherapy, etc.
Why does addiction arise?
How to get rid of addiction to nose drops? Before answering this question, you need to find out why decongestants are addictive. With a runny nose, most people limit themselves to using vasoconstrictor aerosols or drops. They contain substances (adrenaline receptor stimulants) that cause the arterioles in the nasopharynx to narrow. The reasons for the development of medicinal rhinitis lie in the long-term use of anti-congestants.
Abuse of vasoconstrictors leads to the development of tachyphylaxis - a rapid decrease in the response to the drug after its use. To relieve puffiness, a person is forced to constantly increase the dose of drops used. All nasal anticongestants belong to the group of vasoconstrictors, i.e. substances that affect the work of adrenaline receptors, which are located in the walls of blood vessels.
The systematic use of decongestants sooner or later leads to the appearance of the "rebound" effect. The rejection of vasoconstrictors activates compensatory mechanisms, during which the body tries to restore normal blood circulation in the tissues in the nasal cavity. This is reflected in the expansion of blood vessels and increased production of nasal secretions.
Irrational use of anticongestants is fraught with hyperplasia (enlargement) of the mucous membranes and glands that produce nasal secretions.
If you do not stop using decongestants within 7 days, this will lead to rhinitis medication, the development of which is based on vasodilation. It is quite difficult to cure addiction, since refusal from vasoconstrictor drugs negatively affects a person's well-being - there is a constant nasal congestion, abundant transparent discharge, sneezing, etc.
General recommendations
Is it possible to independently give up the habit of dripping decongestants into the nose? It is possible to get rid of "drip" dependence without the participation of an otolaryngologist only at the initial stages of its development. If vasoconstrictor drugs have been used for years, it is most likely that the manifestations of medicinal rhinitis will be eliminated only through physiotherapy and surgery.
There are several ways to get rid of addiction:
- Abrupt refusal. If you have been using vasoconstrictor medications for a relatively short time, abrupt withdrawal from drugs will help to cope with the problem. As a rule, the "rebound" effect lasts for several days, after which the vascular tone is restored, and the runny nose goes away by itself;
- Gradual failure. Get rid of chronic addiction gradually, deliberately increasing the intervals between the use of anti-congestants. To reduce the concentration of substances in the medicine, it is recommended to dilute it with saline or mineral water;
- Replacement of the drug. The most dangerous are anticongestants, which contain xylometazoline. To get rid of "drip" dependence as soon as possible, it is recommended to replace the drug with drops, which include phenylephrine or naphazoline. After 1-2 weeks, it is recommended to switch to homeopathic nasal preparations, as well as hypertonic solutions for rinsing the nasopharynx.
Vitamins C, B5, P and E help to strengthen the walls of blood vessels and eliminate swelling in the nasal passages.
It is possible to independently treat dependence on drops with the help of drugs that increase vascular tone - "Dihydroquertecin", "Askorutin", "Cavinton". With their help, it will be possible to eliminate vasodilation and, as a result, manifestations of drug-induced rhinitis.
Drug treatment
How to get rid of addiction to nose drops? If a person cannot independently refuse decongestants within a month, he should seek help from a specialist. The attending physician will assess the condition of the nasopharyngeal mucosa and determine how much she is "used" to the vasoconstrictor drugs. In the absence of tangible hypertrophic or atrophic changes in soft tissues, the patient will be prescribed anti-inflammatory and anti-edema drugs that do not affect vascular tone.
Topical corticosteroids
Treatment of "drip" addiction is almost always accompanied by the use of local hormonal drugs, ie. topical corticosteroids. They have pronounced anti-inflammatory properties, so they can be used to relieve swelling and inflammation in the turbinates and internal nasal openings:
- "Rinoclenil";
- "Nasobek";
- Beclomethasone Orion Pharma;
- Fliksonase.
Hormonal medications are contraindicated in people suffering from fungal diseases.
In cases where the patient cannot immediately abandon decongestants, the doctor simply reduces the dose of drugs and simultaneously prescribes corticosteroids. In the course of treatment, the regularity of the use of vasoconstrictors gradually decreases, due to which the body practically painlessly weaned from vasoconstrictors.
Antihistamines
How to get out of the habit of drops of vasoconstrictor action? Conservative treatment of medicinal rhinitis is often accompanied by the use of antiallergic drugs. Like decongestants, they reduce swelling in the nasopharynx, but do not affect adrenaline receptors. To restore the normal tone of the vessels in the mucous membrane, it is recommended to drip the following drugs into the nose:
- Sanorin-Anallergin;
- "Levocabastine";
- "Allergodil".
Antiallergic drugs inhibit the release of inflammatory mediators that lead to swelling of the nasopharynx and, as a result, blockage of the nasal passages. If the symptoms of medicinal rhinitis are constantly bothering you, you can replace the decongestants with antihistamine drops for a while.
Solutions for rinsing the nose
You can get used to vasoconstrictor drugs literally in five to ten days, but it is quite difficult to refuse to use them. How to wean yourself off the use of nasal decongestants? Hypertonic and isotonic salt solutions have pronounced anti-edema properties.
As a rule, the treatment of "drop" addiction involves the use of hypertonic drugs, which contain more than 0.9% sodium chloride. Medicated rhinitis is cured by means of the following nasal remedies:
- Dolphin;
- Aqua Maris Strong;
- Morenazal;
- Aqualor Forte.
To achieve the desired results, rinsing the nose must be done at least 4-5 times a day. When relieving the symptoms of rhinitis medication, stop decongestants altogether or replace them with homeopathic remedies.
Physiotherapy
What if medications don't help relieve nasal congestion? If at the doctor's appointment the patient says “I have been dripping vasoconstrictor drops for more than 5 years,” in 90% of cases, instrumental examination reveals pathological changes in the nasopharynx. It should be understood that decongestants negatively affect the work of the glands that secrete nasal secretions. Continuous dripping will result in insufficient mucus production and, as a result, dehydration and thinning (atrophy) of the soft tissues.
Treatment of atrophic and hypertrophic changes in the nasal mucosa is carried out using physiotherapy procedures. They help to strengthen the walls of blood vessels, restore the secretory activity of the glands in the nasopharynx and thereby stop the manifestations of a medicinal rhinitis.
Laser therapy
How to cure a medicated rhinitis? To eliminate the symptoms of vasomotor and drug-induced rhinitis, laser therapy is often used. Laser study has a beneficial effect on the transcapillary processes in the arterioles, which are located in the nasopharynx. With 7-10 laser therapy sessions, you will completely get rid of addiction and vascular dystonia.
Instrumental therapy has an anti-inflammatory, vasoconstrictor and anti-edema effect on the ciliated epithelium that covers the turbinates. To soften the effect of laser study, after the procedure, it is recommended to instill moisturizing drops into the nose - Physiomer, No-Sol, Quicks, etc.
Acupuncture
Acupuncture is one of the most effective treatments for chronic and drug-induced rhinitis. During the procedure, a specialist inserts thin needles into regional and segmental points on the face. Stimulation of acupuncture points helps restore the normal innervation of muscle fibers, which are responsible for the expansion and contraction of arterioles in the nasal cavity.
It should be noted that the mechanism of action of acupuncture is currently poorly understood. Many doctors are skeptical about this treatment, although the practical results are in its favor. Physiotherapy does not eliminate psychological addiction to nasal drops, but it helps to eliminate somatic disorders caused by vasodilation, i.e. violation of vascular tone.
Electrophoresis
Electrophoresis is an instrumental method for the treatment of ENT diseases, based on the introduction of drugs into the nasopharynx by means of an electric current. As drugs are usually used:
- thiamin (vitamin B2);
- pantothenic acid (vitamin B5);
- rutin (vitamin P);
- diphenhydramine.
Electrophoresis is contraindicated in people with impaired blood clotting and diseases of the cardiovascular system.
To reduce discomfort during electrophoresis, analgesic agents must be instilled into the nose. The duration of the session depends on the degree of vascular dystonia and the state of the nasopharyngeal mucosa. The therapeutic effect is observed after 10-12 sessions of electrophoresis.
Conclusion
Abuse of vasoconstrictor drops inevitably leads to rhinitis medicamentosa. The development of the disease is based on vasodilation - the expansion of blood vessels associated with the relaxation of muscle fibers in the vascular walls. Pathological processes are provoked by active substances contained in decongestants - oxymetazoline, xylometazoline, naphazoline, etc.
How to treat vasoconstrictor addiction? To break the habit of anti-congestants, you need to replace them with nasal drugs of a different type - homeopathic, antiallergic, anti-inflammatory (topical corticosteroids), etc. In case of ineffectiveness of drug treatment, physiotherapy (electrophoresis, laser therapy) is prescribed, which helps to restore vascular tone and patency of the nasal passages.
