![\"PERSON](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/person-blowing-nose.jpg\")
<\/p>\nBritain’s medicines regulator has issued fresh guidance urging consumers to limit their use of nasal decongestant sprays to a maximum of five days.<\/p>\n
The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) announced that products containing xylometazoline and oxymetazoline should be restricted due to harmful effects associated with extended use.<\/p>\n
The sprays, commonly purchased to alleviate stuffiness from colds, allergies and sinusitis, can paradoxically worsen nasal blockage when used beyond the recommended period.<\/p>\n
The MHRA’s warning applies to both spray and drop formulations of these decongestants, which remain widely available over the counter across British pharmacies.<\/p>\n
The medication begins to perpetuate the very problem it was designed to solve<\/p>\n
| <\/p>\n
GETTY<\/p>\n
Prolonged use of these decongestants can trigger a condition known as “rebound congestion,” medically termed rhinitis medicamentosa.<\/p>\n
The Royal College of Pharmacy described this as a preventable ailment in which symptoms deteriorate, and users become dependent on the spray itself.<\/p>\n
Rather than providing continued relief, the medication begins to perpetuate the very problem it was designed to solve, creating a troubling cycle where patients reach for the spray ever more frequently.<\/p>\n
But the condition is entirely avoidable when users adhere to the five-day limit.<\/p>\n
Manufacturers will update all packaging and accompanying leaflets to include the five-day warning, though the MHRA acknowledged this process will take several months to complete.<\/p>\n
In the meantime, patients are advised to follow the new guidance immediately rather than waiting for updated products to reach shelves.<\/p>\n
Thao Huynh, head of respiratory imaging and critical care at the MHRA, said: “If your nose is still blocked after five days of using a nasal spray, it could be caused by overuse of the product, rather than your original symptoms.”<\/p>\n
He urged those experiencing persistent congestion to consult a healthcare professional about discontinuing use and exploring alternative treatments.<\/p>\n
The Royal College of Pharmacy has endorsed the regulatory intervention, backing both the enhanced labelling and broader efforts to inform the public.<\/p>\n
Professor Amira Guirguis, chief scientist at the Royal College of Pharmacy, said: “We support clearer product information and improved packaging, alongside consistent public messaging, to improve awareness that these products are for short-term use only and to avoid preventable harm.”<\/p>\n
The MHRA emphasised that these decongestants remain safe and effective when used according to directions.<\/p>\n
Consumers are encouraged to read the information leaflets accompanying their medicines and pay attention to guidance printed on the outer packaging.<\/p>\n
Research conducted earlier this year paints a concerning picture of the scale of potential dependency across the nation.<\/p>\n
![\"NASAL](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/nasal-decongestant.jpg\")
Rebound congestion is avoidable when users adhere to the five-day limit<\/p>\n
| <\/p>\n
GETTY<\/p>\n
An ITV survey found that more than one in five adults who had used these decongestant products continued doing so beyond the seven-day limit previously recommended by the NHS and manufacturers.<\/p>\n
This translates to an estimated 5.5 million Britons who may have placed themselves at risk of developing a reliance on these sprays.<\/p>\n
Updated packaging and patient information leaflets will be rolled out over the coming months to reflect the stricter five-day guidance.<\/p>\n
In the interim, the MHRA has urged consumers to adopt the new recommendations immediately.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Britain’s medicines regulator has issued fresh guidance urging consumers to limit their use of nasal decongestant sprays to…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":469854,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[274],"tags":[18,135,19,17,462,5,63657],"class_list":{"0":"post-469853","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-medication","8":"tag-eire","9":"tag-health","10":"tag-ie","11":"tag-ireland","12":"tag-medication","13":"tag-news","14":"tag-sgg"},"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"https:\/\/pubeurope.com\/@ie\/116523144552242987","error":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/469853","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=469853"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/469853\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/469854"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=469853"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=469853"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=469853"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}