- 1). Only use nasal decongestants for the recommended periods. Most nasal decongestant sprays recommend that you use the product for a period of three days at the recommended dosing level. This means that you can use nasal sprays at the specified intervals to combat nasal congestion for three days or less. Any usage beyond this threshold will generally cause rebound congestion.
- 2). Do not use the maximum dosing schedule. Most nasal congestion sufferers can go through the day suffering from drippy or stuffy noses without too much difficulty. It is recommended that if you plan to use nasal decongestants in order to help you sleep, you should refrain from using them during the daytime at all. This will help prevent rebound congestion.
- 3). Use nasal sprays in combination with other decongestant drugs. Using a nasal spray in conjunction with an antihistamine will help reduce your reliance on the spray to relieve your symptoms. This in turn will prevent the onset of rebound congestion and potentially allow you to use the spray for longer than the recommended three-day period.
- 4). Keep your mucous membranes moist. Good supportive care such as using a humidifier or steaming your nasal passages will help keep the tissues from swelling unnecessarily and can be quite soothing. Keeping your mucous thin by keeping your nasal passages moist will also lessen the need to use decongestant sprays.
- 5). Do not treat rebound congestion. If you find that you are suffering from rebound congestion, do not exacerbate the problem by continuing to use nasal decongestants. You will need to stop using them completely for a period of days, weeks and potentially months to recover from the symptoms.