Hello, my nose tends to get congested. Its not runny (unless I have a cold), just stuffy. It's a chronic problem and it comes and goes throughout the day. Sometimes, especially when I lie down, my nose is so stuffy I can't breath through it. Also, because of this, I have developed a habit of blowing my nose a lot in an effort to clear it.
A few months ago, I started using a decongestant spray because I had a cold. But, after the cold was over, I continued using the spray (even though it's not recommended for use for more than 3 days) because it help me breath better.
So, for 2-3 months I have been using the spray, 2-3 times a day, 1 spray per nostril. When I use it, my nose opens up completely and I can breath great. The effect lasts for about 6 hours and after that my nose gets congested again.
After some research online, I think that what is happening is that the spray causes the blood vessels to shrink, opening up my nose passage, and after the effect is gone the blood vessels swell up.
Other than that, I haven't had any other side effects.
I have also used saline spays, but they don't seem to help.
So, I have a few questions:
What could be the cause of my chronic congestion?
Can prolonged use of decongestant sprays like Sinex cause problems or side effects and if so, is there an alternative for reducing the swelling of the blood vessels and opening up the air passages?