How to Get Rid of and Prevent a Nasal Spray Addiction

Cold and flu season - just the thought of it reminds us of all those commercials where robe-clad, droopy, red-eyed individuals with red runny noses wrapped in tissues sigh sorrowfully from your television screens.

From syrups to drops to pills to pots, remedies abound for the cold or flu sufferer, some of which promise temporary relief for nasal congestion - with the use of nasal sprays.

Pause for a moment. Pay attention to that word, "temporary," because nasal sprays can be addictive.

How the Addiction Starts

The reason people start using nasal sprays is because the lining of their noses restricts their breathing in some way. Swollen or congested, the nasal cavity becomes blocked. A nasal spray opens up the passages and allows for the free flow of oxygen.

That ability to breathe easily causes some people, upon the first sign of distress, to grab a nasal spray and use it. But what happens is that the more often you use it, the more dependent upon it you become.

What once began as a once every twelve hour need has now become a once every four hour requirement. The time between sprays lessens as the days go by and the compulsive need for the spray builds a tolerance level so high, the spray becomes of ultimate importance - the user cannot breathe without it.

Going "Cold Turkey"

When repeated use of nasal sprays requires users to spray only hours after using them, addiction to the spray becomes a concern. The need for the nasal spray becomes so strong that frequent wake-ups in the middle of the night interrupt the sleep cycle as the user feels the need for even more nasal spray. Eventually users realize they cannot sleep without their sprays and awaken sometimes every hour to use them.

Using sleep deprivation, children, work, and a myriad other reasons as excuses for continued use, people addicted to nasal sprays feel as if they cannot stop their nasal spray usage without losing even more sleep.

Help for the Nasal Spray Addict

Unlike tobacco and alcohol addiction, nasal spray addiction is easily remedied. All it takes is a commitment to end the cycle of abuse. If you're getting tired of awakening at night to use your nasal spray because you can't breathe without it, try this exercise for three nights in a row.

As you rest your head on the pillow, wrap your mouth and nose with a tissue or handkerchief. Breathe through your mouth and allow the moisture to eradicate that dry-mouth feeling. The moisture alone may open your nasal passages on the first night. If it doesn't, be patient.

If you feel your nasal passages opening, do NOT breathe in deeply through your nose. The lining of your nose will retaliate by swelling shut. Instead, once the nasal passages open, even slightly, breathe slowly and deliberately through the nose, and exhale slowly and deliberately through the mouth. Don't force air into the nasal passages. Breathe in only what the opening will allow.

Three nights of following this practice should be all it takes to completely end your addiction to nasal spray. Don't cheat by using the spray. Allow your nose to return to its normal state with healthy tissue.

Follow Up

In order to prevent nasal spray addiction from happening again, the next time you get a cold, grab a tissue or handkerchief, wrap it around your nose and mouth and repeat the exercise above. Take something like Mucinex to relieve the congestion in your nose, drink lots of fluids, and get plenty of rest. Remember, nasal sprays were meant to offer only temporary, not permanent, relief.